Do-It-Yourself

Ever since I bought my house, I've been a real Do-It-Yourselfer. Because there's not a man around the house (yet,) I've had to develop a lot of skills. I've painted walls, tore out carpeting, laid laminate flooring, fixed a leaky toilet, built a screen, dug out flower beds, and reset a water heater. I have a toolbox, a storage shed, and a cordless power drill. I even know what the term 1/4 inch round means (and no ladies, it's not our desired waste line!)

Do-It-Yourself has kinda been my mantra throughout life. Are you like that too? Let's see if you are,-finish this sentence: "If you want something done right…" Ahh! You are!
I guess it's a fine attitude to have with a house, but unfortunately it also carries over to my spiritual life as well. I have a tendency to look out for myself as opposed to letting God take care of things. Some how I have this idea that He needs my assistance, like He doesn't have to power to do it on his own. (How did He ever get by without me? What did He do before I was here in 1977?) So as soon as he offers up a great idea I try to get to work and do it myself;

"A husband? Sounds good to me, Lord. Let me take a look around and I'll choose the one I like okay?"
"New ministry opportunity? Okay, I'll create one."
"Relocating to a new city. Sure I'll go find myself a new job. "
"Change? Okay, Lord, you just sit back and relax, I'll get right on that."

Don't fret. We're not alone, and we're not the first. Sarah and Abraham are known for getting themselves in a jam too. In Genesis, God promised Abraham a son. Sarah however decided that that was impossible because she was so old, so she took matters into her own hands. Poor Sarah could only see a snapshot in time and it made her desperate.

She encouraged her husband to have a baby with her handmaiden. The handmaiden starts teasing Sarah because she can't get pregnant, then Sarah blames Abraham (although it was her idea) eventually the handmaiden and Ishmael were expelled into the wilderness, where Ishmael's descendants became hostile to Israel and to God (Psalm 83:5-6). What a disaster!

I can look in the Bible and see Sarah's idea was crazy, but it's only because I can see the entire story. I can shout at the pages, "Don't do it girlfriend! Be patient!" but it won't change a thing.

But just as we can see the entirety of Sarah's story, God can see the entirety of our story. The Message Bible puts Jeremiah 29:11 like this:

I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out,- plans to take care of you, not abandon you. Plans to give you the future you hope for.

We can trust Him, His word, and His promises, without feeling the need to take matters into our own hands.

…patient endurance leads to godliness. Goodliness leads to love for other Christians and finally you will grow to have genuine love fore everyone…
2 Peter 1:6

You will keep in perfect peace, all who trust in you,
Whose thoughts are fixed on you! Isaiah 26:3

For since the world began, no ear has heard, and no eye has seen a God like you, who works for those who wait for him! Isaiah 64:4

But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long moths of drought. Their leaves stay green, and the go tight on producing delicious fruit. Jeremiah 17:7

But those who wait on the Lord will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40:31

Peace, godliness, love for others, provision, and strength in hard times are just a few benefits we reap when we relax, trust him, and let God be God. We don't have to do it ourselves!