only help my unbelief

If you read a lot of blogs like I do, you probably tend to skim more than read. This is probably one of those posts you’re not going to want to read, which is OK, because I don’t really care if you read it. I just care that at the end of the day, you’ve listened to three of the best messages I’ve ever heard.

A friend of Christian’s who goes to Southern directed him to the Great Commission Lectures by Dr. David Platt. Platt is only in his 20s, but he is passionate about the Lord, and he has lengthy passages of Scripture memorized (there are other awesome things about him that I can’t remember).

I was listening to “The Command of Christ in the Great Commission” when I heard Platt ask a question that stopped me in my tracks:

Are your plans self-directed or Christ-directed?

Here’s the thing: When I’m overwhelmed or feel like I won’t get things done, I want to trust the Lord, and I often pray about those struggles. But when I pray, I’m very tempted to pray in such a way that I’m basically just asking God to give me what I want in the way that I’ve decided is best.

And when it comes to actually making plans, while I suppose on the surface I want people to think that those plans are Christ-directed, when I really think about it, I’m making them in a way that suits me best.

Take my current job situation. Most likely, in a couple of weeks, I won’t have this job anymore (and I refuse to talk about the terrible economy, the recession, the downturn). As I’ve thought about other opportunities, most of them revolve around the following thoughts:

• What will make me happy?
• Where can I earn “enough” money?
• What will be best for me and Christian as a married couple?

Those aren’t necessarily bad things to take into consideration, but if you look closely, you’ll notice that they’re very self-directed. Not a single mention of the Lord! A better way:

• What will make God happy and me holy?
• How can this situation teach me to trust God more for finances?
• What job will most allow Christian and me to glorify God with our marriage?

Dr. Platt says later in the message, “God does not bless based solely on our motives. The reality is that God always blesses His plans.”

Well said.