There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan
that can succeed against the Lord. Proverbs 21:30
Even living inside the castle walls, we may still harbor rebellious thoughts. What is God asking you to surrender this day?
I can't help it. Mulling over this proverb has me thinking of another: Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails. (Proverbs 19:21). In my early 20s, I went through a period where God seemed to take every plan and dream I had dreamed for myself and systematically dismantled them. I don't know that I've ever fully recovered from that. But I don't know that that's a bad thing. I tenaciously hold onto the words of Jesus: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself." So yeah, surrendering life plans. Good there.
What I'm not as good at is surrendering my friends. What I plan and scheme about is how to live this whole Jesus thing out in a way that draws other people to him...and to the hope and life and grace and joy and wholeness I've found. It's hard for me to remember that it's not my job to connect the dots for people. Does he use me? Yes. Absolutely. But am I in control of the process? No. It's just my job to, well, to love Jesus with everything I am, to show it by loving other people, and to surrender the rest.
Surrendering the rest. That's the hard part.
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