Could it be that you've got things upside down?
Could it be that it's time to let go and let God?
Read this inspired teaching from John Paul Jackson and allow it to draw you to intimacy with the Father.
From the Beginning
Many, many years ago in a garden far, far away, there lived a man named Adam and his wife, Eve. They were both very happy and loved each other very much.
But then one day, an evil snake told them that they could become better, stronger, and wiser people if they simply set their minds to doing so. They could even become like God. They listened to the snake and chose fruit from the wrong tree--a decision that caused a separation between them and God.
A lot of time passed, civilizations came and went, and now, thousands of years later, every culture (with the exception of the Judeo-Christian culture) believes that God has failed. You see, time has a way of twisting things in the human mind--this is true even today.
The "Good Person" Category
The secular arena will tell you that if you want to become better and stronger, you need to embrace "the good" that is within you. As Christians, most of us realize that this isn't true, BUT we don't live like it isn't true. Despite its pagan roots, this mindset soaked very securely into the Church, with only a slight twist: If you want to become a better person, you need to trust God--and then work really hard to get yourself into the "good person" category.
Therein lies the rub. The idea that you can do anything to help yourself, does not come from God. It's fruit from the wrong tree. You were created in His hands; He held you and formed you with His fingertips. If your very creation did not require your assistance, what else would? The theory of evolution was born from the belief that we do not need God; that we as humans can fill God's role if we just have the time.
If we truly can perfect ourselves, then the last thing we need is a savior. After all, who wants to be the servant if they can be the master? That's what satan suggested to Adam and Eve, and it's the same battle we fight with every choice we make today.
Accordingly, we think God wants us to try very hard to be everything He's called us to be, and that simply is not true. Yes, we do need to make the conscious decision for His will and not ours to be done in our life, but that's about it. We can't, by our own strength, carry ourselves down the path of His will. This mindset is very hard to break, because we've been taught this since "The Fall."
For example, our parents reward us if we're good and behave ourselves. Nothing's wrong with that practice, but it naturally produces within us the belief that we need to be good for God, and if we have issues we're working through, God must be upset and disappointed with us, which just isn't true. Why did the issue come up in the first place? Because He's dealing with it in us!
As difficult as breaking this mindset is, it can happen with this simple realization: You cannot get rid of your issues by yourself. You cannot save yourself. You are not and cannot be a good person by yourself. You do not have your life under control. You are not in charge of your fate. You...you...you...are not the final answer.
Only Intimacy with God will Make You a Better Person
Only one thing will truly make you a better person--and consequently "enlighten" you, as people like to talk about--and it's called "intimacy with God." Getting past our issues happens automatically as we grow closer and closer to Him, but it is not the process itself. Once we realize who God is and who we are in relationship to Him, all of Heaven will open to us, and we will walk in our true calling and destiny. Oh, and we'll become better people, too. That's the proper order, not the other way around.
John Paul Jackson
Streams Ministries International
http://www.streamsministries.com/
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