On Change and God's Sovereignty

I am reading through the Westminster Catechism with my children. One of the chapters is on God's sovereignty in the midst of our free will.

I've been struggling for a while with the thought of Why pray, if God already knows the outcome? A light bulb came on for me while reading that chapter -- we pray BECAUSE He knows the outcome of our lives, and He knows the perfect way for us to go. And what better reason to pray, than to get His divine guidance to make right choices?

We do not belong to ourselves. We do have free will, but we have it under the Lordship of our Savior. We have been bought with a terrible price, and given a gift beyond measure -- freedom to choose Him, to live for Him, to lift up Jesus. Or not.

What choices am I making? Whom do I seek to please? Myself? Other people? Or my Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior of my soul?

"How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and you do not seek the glory that is from the one and only God?" (John 5:44 NASB)

Do I ask for wisdom when I make decisions? Or do I choose what is best for me, most convenient, most comfortable?

Tonight, I watched a show on PBS about missionaries in Africa. The documentary was biased against Christianity--specifically the evangelical Christianity of "The West" -- because the missionaries took a stand against the sin of homosexuality and sexual sin in general, promoting abstinence.

I have been struggling with feelings of rejection and fear and doubt in the face of what seems like a big change in our family.

But after watching this show, what is my perspective on obedience? What would I do if God called me to go to another country, to surrender all that is familiar? Maybe to go somewhere dangerous? Would I go? What if that place is here, in America? Would I stand for truth?

I can't have strong faith without exercising it.

Change is like weight-lifting for our faith. I must remind myself of God's sovereign control. He knows everything, every step everyone has, or is, going to take. I am asking God to humble me, and I am praying for His wisdom in all that I do. I want Him to guide me through life and show me the right choices to make.

I've tried to do it my way for too long, and I haven't done the greatest job. So, change is a good thing. Especially when we know the God who goes before us in the darkness, lighting our way.


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