Day six

Lately I have been struck by the deeper need of humility required to transfer hope in myself to hope in the Lord.  

When I believe I can handle things on my own, my position of dependence and hope in the Lord is one that I go to more out of obedience than need. At these times I believe I can handle things on my own, not really believing that God the Father’s best plans for my life are better than my own crafted goals and plans. Sadly, this is pride, to place my own abilities near the same level of the Creator of the universe. It’s not pretty but my confidence in my own plans, to achieve a stress-free, successful life that is full of love and meaning, can be pretty high.  

Until my plans fail.  

My job disappears, I or someone I love gets sick, my marriage bottoms out, a family crisis or need becomes all-consuming and my stress mounts, friends move away, a pet or someone I love dies…. the list goes on. Maybe I fail spectacularly at something, or my success gets overlooked, either way, at some point in life I eventually face the hard reality that I am simply not in control of nearly as much as I thought.  This place of facing our own inability to achieve a dependable source of love, safety and peace can be incredibly painful! And let’s face it, many of us would spiral down in hopelessness if all we were relying on was our own plans.  

Except for our heavenly Father, that spiral is very likely.  

Except for our God. 

The place of recognizing our own inability is not the end for us, but the beginning! The beginning of hope in our Lord who knows more than we do and has plans to walk with us through everything. It is the beginning of walking in a greater level of humility partnered with hope; a transferring of hope in ourselves to hope in a heavenly Father who does not condemn us but loves us in our weaknesses. Who heals our shame, forgives our failings and tells us that we were never designed to this life alone. That we are designed to be dependant, not independent. And that in Him we can bear so much more fruit than we could on our own.  

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 
John 15:5 

Father, thank You for being patient as You watch me build my own plans without You. Thank You for always loving me when my plans, that I have built without You, disappoint me. Forgive me for trying to do this life without You. You know more than I do, help me to lean on You and follow You closely more closely.