By Jeff-March 10, 2008
I heard a commercial for the Minnesota Center for Stress and Anxiety the other day. The announcer comments about being too frightened to go out of your house and carry on your normal life’s activities.
I fully understand that some people actually do have mental issues that cause them to freeze up when a wrench is thrown into their daily plan, and I would never make fun of them. However, there are some people who are just worry warts and have an irrational fear about everything under the sun. They are always imagining the worst possible outcome for everything they undertake.
A Middle Eastern gentleman taught me a saying, about 15 years ago, that I feel is applicable.
"Leave it for God" - If you are truly a believer, this should be a no brainer. But all of us have times when we try to finagle things to work out the way WE want them to, rather than to trust God to have things work out the way that is actually BEST for us.
“Leave it for God” simply means to look for the signs that he is giving you, sometimes seeming to speak directly to you – as to how you should live your life and the decisions you should make, and then following His direction, placing your life in His hands.
Let’s assume you are interested in applying for a job. It seems quite interesting, but you are not sure that it is right for you. God will let you know if it is the right job or not (trust me on that!). In my own case, I applied for a job and said, “Leave it for God”. When I got to the interview they asked questions that I was unprepared for and totally I bombed the interview. Needless to say I did not get the job. I could’ve sulked and cussed a lot, but because I left it for God, leaving my employment in his hands, I knew that this job wasn’t intended for me (truth be told, it became apparent in about the first five minutes of the interview).
It was clear that God had a different plan for my life. Part of that plan was to stay in the present job, and have further influence on those around me, including an old man who came to accept Jesus just months before his death – partially due to our daily interactions (look for this story in a posting titled “Vietnam”). It is possible that I was in that job solely to meet that man and show him who Jesus was.
On my next job interview, which I also left for God, I did much better, and ended up getting that job. I think I understand the reason that God has placed me here, but it is possible that I have yet to discover His grand plan for my current employment. We shall see.
A few questions can arise from living your life like this:
So are you saying I can just sit around and wait for God to come to me?
By all means, NO!! You have to be watching for the signs and information that He gives you. You have to be ready to try new things and go where He sends you. You have to keep your eyes open for the next opportunity that He has for you.
Also, Leaving it for God does not mean you sit like a mindless zombie and only take what lands in your lap. I believe that God also expects you to do a little thinking and reasoning as well. It may be in God’s plan for you to have a new car, but in most cases you still need to go to the auto dealership to get one. Yes, I know there are cases where a car has just shown up at someone’s home, but these instances are rare – the point is that you still have to put forth some initiative. Even Moses had to stretch out his arm during the parting of the Red Sea. If such a large miracle required some effort on Moses’ part, I would expect that you have to get up off the couch for God to work in your life too.
When I “leave it for God”, why do I seem to have difficult times, while those who seem to make their own way and make things happen for themselves seem to have it easy?
You never know what God has planned for you and how he will use your situation to influence others or use you for His glory. In my earlier job, I worked for one of the most dishonest people I have ever met. I also worked with one of the most difficult people I hope to ever meet during the same employment. If God had let me bail out early (and I tried mightily) I would’ve never had the chance to meet the previously mentioned man, and have a hand in saving his soul. I would’ve missed the opportunity to gain a wealth of life experience that few will ever have the good fortune to encounter. And lastly, I would’ve missed out on the friends that I will treasure for the rest of my life. Looking back, the difficulty that I experienced was a small price to pay in comparison to the good done not only for His glory, but also in my own life.
On the topic of difficulty, maybe it is also to prepare you, or sharpen you, for your next mission. Perhaps you are not the best at standing up for yourself or speaking your mind, and because of your current situation you are forced to do so. This could be training for the next mission field. Possibly you will be called on to speak up for those who have no voice (the homeless, aborted children, the poor). You never know where God will lead you if you let Him.
You also never know what is going on in the life of the other person. While it seems like everything is rosy for them and stinky onions for you, they may see things differently. It is possible that the other person is envious of you. While they are “making their own way” and always worried about losing it all, you appear to be calmly cruising through life without worrying about things crashing or falling apart. They may even ask, “how can you be so calm and take things in stride?” And that is your chance to tell them about a better life. That may be why your paths crossed in the first place. So again, I say, “Leave it for God.” Even if you encounter difficulties, there is nothing that He cannot see you through. Actually, rather than "if", I should say, "when you encounter difficulties", because you will. That is okay though, because He WILL see you through them if you only lean on Him.
If “leaving it for God” is the answer, then how come all these terrible things happen in the world?
There are a few possibilities for this:
- In the case of man-made problems (terrorism, genocide, or crime in general) - This is because of evil people. The world is full of evil, sinful people who will terrorize others and use cruelty to achieve their own ends. These are people who clearly have not, “left it for God.”
- “Natural” disasters – to be honest – I cannot explain them except that they are the natural workings of our planet, and God allows them to happen. Even though they create much damage and heartache, look what can come out of them. It is arguable that when things like this happen, when things seem to be at their worst, that is when we are often-times at our best. How often do great things and wonderful “God Stories” come out of disasters?
I believe that He will sometimes allow these things to happen when we get a little to “big for our britches” (as the old saying goes). The world, quite often, tries to push God out of existence, and say that we are too smart to believe in God. When the world says to God, “hey, leave us alone,” that is precisely what he does – and look what happens. Perhaps it is a wake up call, or a snap back into reality, to say, “Yes, I am still alive and well. See what happens when you walk away?”
Lastly For me, “leave it for God” means being okay with not having all of the answers. It provides me the peace of mind that even though I don’t know, there is Someone who does. The answers will be shown to me when it is time to show them to me. I may not know the reasons for years – and then I will look back and say, “Oh, that’s why I went through that dilemma 20 years ago.” Just knowing that He will see me through is enough.
Before closing, I would like to leave you with the following passages:
Matthew 6:25-27
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
Matthew 6: 28-34
"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Matthew 10: 29-31
Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Have a great day, and may God cause your cup to overflow.
Jeff
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