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Nov 18, 2023 06:00am

No Regrets

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Second to John 3:16, Jeremiah 29:11 is the runner up for the most popular verse in the Bible. I know this because an abundance of accessories, t-shirts, and bumper stickers tell me so!

The idea that God had a good plan for His people, the Jews, and still has good plans for His people today is comforting. Along the same lines of this passage of Scripture is Psalm 139:16,

“Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.”

It’s amazing to think that before any of us were a formed substance, God had a specific plan for each of our days.

The funny thing is, the same Christians who proudly sport Jeremiah 29:11 on their wrists, chest, and cars often spend most of their days questioning what that plan is and if they are living in it.

The plan God has for the life of a Christian can be found in Matthew 28:16-20 where Jesus, proceeding His ascension to heaven, instructs His disciples to: go into all nations, baptize, and teach them to observe all the things He taught them while He lived on earth.

The aim of Jesus’ kingdom then, is the same aim He has now which boils down to disciples (aka- students of Jesus Christ) making and instructing other disciples.
This is the plan God has for you.

The question is: are you living it? Are you using the unique gifts, talents, relationships, and vocations God has given you to live out this plan?

Ecclesiastes 3 tells us that God has put eternity into the heart of man. This means all of us have within us a desire to live for something eternal, something that will have lasting meaning/value.

For the Christian, we know that the only things that have true and lasting value are the spiritual investments we make in our relationship with God and others relationship(s) with God.

So how do we do it? How do we live out this plan on a daily basis?

Just as there is a specific plan for the life of a Christian, there is a specific word which sums up how to live out that plan: obedience.

Phillipians 2:8 reads, “And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

Jesus was obedient, even to death,to the plan of the father. Additionally, He had many steps of obedience prior to the cross.

We often don’t think of Jesus in this way as we know he was God in the flesh, but it’s important to remember Jesus was also fully human.

This means Jesus had a choice to obey. Whether it be to God or to his mother Mary, Jesus always had a choice to be obedient.

This is the same choice we are faced with when it comes to living in the days God has for us. You see, we often want to experience the highlight reel of what God has planned for us, but fail to be obedient in the small things..even worse, we despise them.

We often desire to do things for God that are on a “platform,” things that will be noticed, affirmed, and recognized, while despising the little things God asks of us on a daily basis.

Zechariah 4:10 reminds us to not despise the small things. How often do we despise the small steps of obedience God asks of us? Steps like: being angry and not sinning when the person in front of you is driving 10 mph under the speed limit, helping in the nursery on Sunday mornings, or sending out a text of encouragement to someone who is struggling.

We must remember the words of Jesus in Luke 16:10 when Jesus instructs ” One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much…” In other words, you must be willing to go to Wal-Mart for God before he will send you to speak at a Women’s Retreat.

I have been on all sides of obedience.

-I have been disobedient and needed God to chasten me in love.

-I have been in the struggle of obedience where I am doing as I know God is asking of me without being able to see the end result. In these times, I’ve had to remind myself of 2 Chronicals 16:9 to assure myself that God sees me and will strengthen me as I am obedient to him in all things, big or small.

-I have also lived in the blessing of obedience where I am in awe of God’s faithfulness.

No matter what camp you find yourself in today, I encourage you to be obedient. Spend some time with your Father, just as Jesus did. As you get in tune with the Spirit, ask what your next step of obedience should be, and then be obedient.

The method is simple: get in tune, submit, obey, and repeat.

If you’re questioning God’s will for your life, start by obeying and walking with the Spirit on a daily basis in the small things. You may be surprised where simple obedience will take you.

One thing I can say with absolute certainty is: I’ve never regretted obedience.