There are those moments in life when you hear, read, or see something and it just speaks to you. That happened to me this week as I was reading though 1 Samuel.
The Lord was unhappy that the people insisted that a king be placed over them. They were not satisfied with having the Lord alone and even after being warned that the outcome would be bad for them, they still insisted.
It made me think…how often do we do this in our own lives without even realizing it? We follow after people trying to learn the next greatest truth. We follow after people looking how to be a huge success and make more money. We follow after people who can teach us how to manage our time better and be more productive. But here is my question – In our quest to gain more knowledge, skill and wisdom have we forgotten to seek after the ONE who can really teach us?
I’m all for learning from others who have gone before us, paved the way and can teach us how to become better. What I’m not for is thinking that this person has the one and ONLY way and looking to them for more wisdom than we seek God for.
You have to be true to yourself and you can’t do that if you are trying to change who you are and how you function because you have given another person the place of “king” in your life in some area or another.
This past year I set out to learn all about social media – and boy did I learn a lot! However, in the process I also lost a little bit of myself by trying to change things that didn’t really need to change in my life.
Here’s a small example – My family is a second/third shift, homeschooling family. I got so wrapped up in trying to be just like the other people I saw doing this social media thing the “right” way that I decide to become a morning person and be up super early so I could start being social.
I kept that early schedule for many, many months too. Here’s the problem, that doesn’t really work best for us. I treasure the late evenings I get to spend with my husband when he’s home, but I was falling asleep because I had gotten up too early. I was irritated with the kids because they were just ready to get going right about the time I wanted to go run errands. I was cranky too, when evening came around, everyone was full of steam…except for me.
I was honestly confused as to why I felt so unsatisfied and frustrated. Why, Lord, Why???????
The Lord loves me and He shows me truth when I ask Him.
I was wanting a king other than him to show me what to do and how my life was supposed to look. I looked to other people and followed their ways instead of following after and seeking the wisdom of the one who knows me best.
I can’t tell you how much peace I have now. I am back on my old schedule and happier than ever. According to some, I stay up too late and sleep in too late, but you know what – This is what works for me and I feel great about it!
You have NO ONE else to please. You don’t have to change to fit every detail that works for other people. Be open and teachable of course, but learn what to receive for yourself and what to leave on the table.
There should only be ONE King in your life – His name is Jesus.
That’s my two cents for the day.
Keep It Real
Being Loved By Him, With You –
Daveda
BIO: Daveda Schmidlin is a happy wife, mother, and grandmother. She is a speaker, teacher, author and former pastor who is passionate about the Gospel of Grace. Her message is sincere, encouraging, simple and profound. Her words will set people free from condemnation and will help usher them into a deeper revelation and understanding of God’s great love.