by Audrey Wauson
The other day we were listening to one of our favorite preachers, Bob Coy. Actually we were watching him online. We have just discovered that we can do this, so we picked a random sermon to watch. Wow, God is so sovereign He can even cause us to pick sermons that hit right at the heart of an issue that we don’t know is an issue. This one hit us both, but me most I think.
He began talking about how we don’t like authority…in any area. Well here’s what I found. This one statement, “I wouldn’t have done it like that.” is my most prideful and rebellious statement and I make it all the time. Here’s how it goes. I go to the ER, they are incredibly disorganized and I immediately have a thought (more like a complete plan) on how they could improve things. That thought affects my attitude. I begin to fill with pride. Then they take me back to one of the rooms and I immediately notice the color of the paint and think, “Why don’t they paint this place some color that would inspire wellness?” Pride is now blossoming. There is not enough space to write all of the things that I notice that could use improvement or change. Then the Dr sees me and I’ve been so busy noticing all that’s wrong that I’m very pleased because she matches all my expectations. However, I begin to project all of my frustrations (You know frustrations that things aren’t going exactly like I would do it.) onto an internal dialogue regarding how incompetent this place is. By this time I can barely hide the disdain I’m feeling from my face. And I know what an ER should be run like because … I’m a professional and have run ER’s before? … NO-o-o … Because I’m a know-it-all and am full of myself? … much more likely.
Well, here was Pastor Coy’s point. God in His sovereignty sets up kings and queens, rulers and authorities, and other things and people … like ER’s, like school administrations, like realtors, like everyone. I mean He is the one who set up the chessboard. He is the one who moves the pieces. He is the one who decides. There is really very little that I get to decide, thank God. I mean really, you should thank God that I don’t get to decide how everything is run. So any and all statements should be sent directly to Him, something like, “God, what were you thinking?” or “Why in the world do You allow this person to work here?” Wow, that sounds a bit presumptuous … that’s because it is presumptuous. Unbelievably, God can handle it. He wants to dialogue with us. He wants to share with us His thoughts. Perhaps He would say, “I allowed that person to be working here so that when you came in they could see what I’ve been telling them is true, Christians do have a hope and a future and a plan. They are not abandoned orphans by a distant god. And they don’t try to run the universe themselves.”
Some of the biggest messes in life come from people deciding things for their friends and family. “Here’s what I think you should do…” or “Well, if you ask me …”
God, please help me to keep my mind, my thoughts directed towards You. If I’m struggling with incompetence remind me that I can talk to You directly about the problem, that I can trust You to know what You’re doing. Help me to still and quiet my soul like a weaned child with its mother.
Psalm 131
My heart is not proud, O Lord, my eyes are not haughty;
I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me.
But I have stilled and quieted my soul;
like a weaned child with its mother,
like a weaned child is my soul within me.
O Israel, (O Audrey) put your hope in the Lord
both now and forevermore.
Excuse me while I go and apologize to my family and friends for getting in their face, for telling them how I would do it … wow, I may be busy for awhile ;)
