What Is Best?

 Why, you don't even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while, and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. James 4:14-16 

Deep down, I know that when I pray, I should ask the Lord's will in whatever the matter is, but do I? Unfortunately, although this is a vitally important thing, I rarely do it. I get caught up in asking the Lord God to do this or that, whatever way I'm asking. And to top that I off, I also pray, please don't let it be this other way, that I disapprove of, as if, I'm the Almighty God, Who knows what is best!

How could I be so arrogant. The Lord God has generously shown me His hand in my life more times than I can mention. One of which is that He took away my desire to eat large amounts of food, and sugar until I'm sick to my stomach. Did I do this myself? No way! It didn't happen until one day when I had been on a bazillion diets, but only had regained what little weight I had lost. 

I sat down that morning and told the Lord God, that I was giving up. I had tried losing weight and I couldn't do it, and if He wanted me to be thin, He's have to do it, because I couldn't! Well, that very same day is when He took those compulsive overeating urges away from me. I wasn't even exactly asking for them. I was just putting the Lord God on notice that I was giving up on dieting. But He, in His infinite wisdom and mercy, realized that I had given up my control over to Him, although I didn't quite know if yet. If the Lord God knew what was best in this situation, and so many other situations in my life, why wouldn't I ask Him for His will to be done and not mine? There's a lot of me to prayerfully contemplate in all of this. First of all, I need to apologize to the Lord God for being so arrogant, to think I know what's best!

I've Gotten Too Caught Up in Worldly Possessions and Didn't Even Realize It!

 He will no longer be rich and his wealth will not endure, nor will his possession spread over the land. Job 15:29 NIV Bible

I have been reluctant to get a newer type of phone. I have clung to my flip phones, thinking that they have kept me humble. I didn't need any of the modern phones like those who have them, or covet them!

Well, I wasn't aware of what a really eye-opening experience unfolded for me recently, related to phones and my humility. I really loved my old flip phone that had voice texting capabilities. It broke, and I tried to buy another. The thing is, that company doesn't make the flip phones with voice texting anymore. I even went to another store, but although it had the capabilities for voice texting, I didn't have the basic requirements for that feature to work.

I had a younger relative, hoping to move me into the 21st Century. Although he calmly supported me, in ways far beyond his years, he gently encourage me to get a more modern phone. I kept telling him, "No, I have to go through what I have to go through, and grieve the loss of the ability to get a flip phone with this feature, because I will be willing to contemplate getting a more modern phone!" Although it probably sounds silly, that's really what I said, and that's really what I felt. I felt I was clinging to a phone that kept me humble, but in reality, if you read the underlined portion above, I loved my old flip phone. So of late, the Lord has had it on my heart, that if I love a flip phone, even if I think it's keeping me humble, it really isn't, because I'm loving a worldly possession. And my loves should be reserved for the Lord God, and for my family, and those less fortunate in the world.

Am I Being Humble?

 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up. James 4:10 NIV Bible

Well, that is a very significant question! I think that deep down, I think I'm being humble, but is that actually so? Every time I pray to the Lord and ask Him to do this specific thing for me, for someone else, or for the world, I'm really not being humble. Somehow, I get it into my head that I think I know what is best for me, for someone else, and for the world! That's pretty arrogant, if you ask me!

I forget to ask the Lord God to take care of the situation, but not ask Him to do it the way that I've already pre-determined is the best way. I need to remember that when the Lord God doesn't do it the way that I think is best, isn't best. I'm talking about the Lord God, Who is all-powerful, all-knowing, and is forgiving. So forgiving, that He had His Son, Jesus Christ, give His life on the cross to save us from our sins, if we ask Him.

So, where do I get off thinking that I know what is best in any of these situations? Even though this has been on my heart lately, I find myself slipping back into that same routine. Unfortunately, that routine feels too comfortable, that I don't even realizing that's what I'm doing. I'm so very sorry that I have taken advantage of my Lord and Savior this way! I pray that the Lord God humbles my soul, so that I get off my high horse, and let Him be in charge, for only He knows what way is best!