Running wild?

Viktor Frankl said, "When we are no longer able to change a situation - we are challenged to change ourselves." Have you ever thought that the more we want life to change around us, it could just be that it needs to change within us first? That thought may frighten some because they think they are on the right path already. We may very well be, but the choice to be on that path is one thing - the choice to do all God asks us to do may not always be what we choose. 

When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild. But whoever obeys the law is joyful. (Proverbs 29:18 NLT)

We all have probably been in the situation of knowing something we were about to do isn't all that great of a choice, but we make it anyway. Why do we do that? Is it because we believe we know better than God? Is it that we just wanted the satisfaction of doing whatever it is we did? Regardless of the reason, we didn't act or do as we were instructed by God. Even when we don't hear his clear voice in our choice, we know the general principles of how he wants us to act. To act contrary to those general principles isn't all that wise!

Sometimes we just like to 'run wild', don't we? We like to have things 'our way'. When God proposes a different choice for us, we might not like it, but we might just want to choose it over the one our heart wanted to pursue on its own! The more we deny self and choose God's way, the more we find ourselves encouraged by the choices we made because the outcome is so much different than what would have been if we chose our own way. Situations come our way, though, that we just cannot handle on our own. In those moments, isn't it amazing how much and how quickly we 'press into' God's help?

Changing the way we respond to God's challenge toward full obedience might mean we lay down our own agenda and self-sufficient means. Full obedience demands more than making 'concessions' - that grudging and hesitant response to God's requests. It means we actively choose to lay down our agenda and lean into his. It means we listen when he tells us something within us isn't quite right and seek his solution to deal with it once and for all. It means we accept his help where needed, even when we think we could probably figure it out on our own. Obedience requires change. Change within - not just a change in the situation that presents itself. Just sayin!