Years ago my husband and I ran a small cabinet business from home. It was fun and I enjoyed being with my husband all the time. But the work was hard. There were so many steps to building a nice cabinet. Our shop was small so when we had a big job it made it rough to maneuver the big sheets of material around without getting in each other's way. But, finally, we would get to the point where we were ready to go install them and it was such a good feeling to see our finished product. Our cabinets were made with care to last for many years.
It made me think of the work God does in us. When we do hand the chisel over to Him, also known as our life, it seems like there is a lot of stuff that gets in the way. Sometimes we can feel like the job He has is too overwhelming and that there is no room to maneuver. Will He ever be able to clean up the clutter in my life, the bad habits and the wrong ways of thinking? AND, do I really want Him to go to some of the places that I've hidden way down deep? It can be intimidating to think of all the work that lies ahead. But never fear, because God LOVES a challenge! The bigger the mess, the more work to do, the more glory He will ultimately receive. We serve an awesome and mighty God and nothing is too big OR too small for Him.
When my husband and I first started our business, I was worried about having to figure out the process. You know, being a woman, I am a planner! Well, I quickly learned to just let my husband do the directing. He knew how to get things done and it was best if I just let him show me what to do. What a relief it became, to trust that he had a plan. Sometimes he would ask for my opinion and I appreciated that, but overall, he had it figured out. We need to do the same with God. TRUST Him to know what to do. TRUST Him to have a plan and to take you step by step. TRUST Him to be able to complete the job.
Are you asking "How" do I trust and give it all over to God? Start small. First, go to Him in prayer and let Him know what you want to do. Acknowledge that you know it will be hard to allow Him to do the work, but that you desire to hand Him your life to shape and to clean up. If you've never before committed your heart and life to the Lord, below is a prayer of assurance that you can start with. From here, you need to spend time getting to know the Lord Jesus. You can do that through fellowship with mature Christians, reading His Word (the Bible), attending a faith based church, listening to Christian radio and mostly listening to God. When you accept the gift of forgiveness and give your life to the Lord, the Holy Spirit comes into your body and helps you along each day. He is your counselor and helper, He convicts your heart when you are being disobedient and He helps you to pray to God. Don't panic, just trust. If you have sincerely, at any time, committed your life to the Lord, He will gather you to Himself and take it from there. Your job is to listen to Him and then follow His instructions.
The first few months of working with my husband were difficult. There certainly was a learning curve. I got frustrated, sometimes angry, hurt and I even cried a few times, but I got over it. I didn't give up and neither did my husband. God won't give up on you either. And chances are good that you will go through each of those emotions and probably some that I didn't list before it all is said and done. Don't expect it to be easy, because it won't be. Expect it to be worth it because it will be. In fact committing your ways to Him will take you places that you've never imagined and in the end He will have a finished product that will be useful for years to come!
Until next time as I continue my work, take the steps to begin yours...
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