Many of God’s people are making the mistake of thinking they are serving the Lord correctly,  but question why they are not getting answers to prayers. We can pray, read our Bibles, and walk upright without truly living for the Lord as he commanded. Many of God’s people make the mistake of claiming to live for him but are really living for themselves. They do what they want, when they want and if there is any time left over they may get around to spending time with him or may not.

Living for the Lord requires denying ourselves and taking up the cross to follow him as told in Mark 8:34-38.

To serve the Lord we must be willing to surrender all of us,  not just the parts that are convenient.  Our hearts must be 100 percent committed to him and his will over our own. That is not easy to do when we invest our hearts in those around us and give more to them than to the one who created us.

Our heads must be filled with the Word of God so our eyes can look upon things above instead of the upset around us. Our shoulders were intended to carry the weight of our heads not the weight of the world that many of us try to carry. We see a need in others and automatically pick up their needs as our own. Anytime we step in and try to fulfill the needs of others we just allowed them to place trust in us instead of God whom they needed to seek first. Our hearts were to be committed to God , yet we invest our hearts in people or things that are tangible. When they are no longer tangible we run back to God asking for help.

It was not enough to feed our stomachs as told in Mathew 4:4. “But he answered and said, it is not good for man to live by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” ( We all make sure to eat each day and maintain fuel for our bodies but we don’t nourish our bodies with the Word of God as commanded.)

Our legs were intended to help us stand upright not remain in the fetal position in bed, crying our eyes out because life is unfair and someone mistreated us.  Coping skills are not found laying in bed crying all day having others ask how they can help…Yet, we have people in our lives who will place themselves in a room rehashing every conversation like a record player until they can make sense of “why things happened the way they did.” (There are some conversations that hold no logic. To make sense of something holding no logic makes no logical sense. In other words it is pointless and exhausting to walk away holding no more answers than when you began seeking sense of the conversation in the first place. You are simply spinning wheels; while not getting anywhere.)

Our feet where intended to walk in faith not in a sinful path. It is easy to walk in sin and sometimes it is fun but walking in faith means you have to walk even though you don’t know the outcome of where your feet will take you. It is a matter of trusting . When walking in sin you get to decide where your feet go, but when the consequences of that sinful walk catches up with you; who do you turn too? You turn to God begging for help and to clean the mess you made.

We want to call the shots in our lives. We want to be in control of how much money can be made, what kind of car or home we will be satisfied with. We seek entertainment and distractions to dull the severe pain our hearts feel when people close to us do us wrong. We self medicate through substance, alcohol , entertainment, people, sex or money. We can see everything wrong with everyone except ourselves;  and how dare the one brave enough point it out to us. When people don’t meet our standards of commitment, we break off our commitment to them. We dictate how our lives will be and who will be allowed around us.

That doesn’t sound like a happy life but rather a miserable,  lonely one.That is a life where people jump from one place to another looking for love, approval, satisfaction, contentment, serenity and fun but never  obtain it as they thought they would or could. That is a self seeking life where people are pushed away before they are given the opportunity to push us away .

I love  Mathew 28:18 the part where Jesus says, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.”   ( He makes it known in this scripture that he’s in charge.)  He allowed me to think I was in charge for many years just so he could show me how wrong I was… I don’t wish that on anyone because during the times I thought I was in control I was shown how out of control I actually was.

To live a life for Christ is to lay our wants, plans, desires and needs aside to pick up his desires for us. Not many people are willing to do this because it comes at a price. The price of being disliked or misunderstood. Loosing people you once were close too that see you as ridiculous or judgmental of their walk. (Even if you are neither one of those.) The price of being laughed at, mocked or told to change or stay away. The price of having your friends or family speak poorly of you behind your back  because you refuse to take part in gossip or backbiting that is fun to them. You become as an outcast with those who claimed at one time to love you and support you. You could loose everything you worked hard for your whole life  if you choose to live a life for Christ.  Not everyone will understand you or your ways, this includes your spouse, children, family , friends, co- workers, neighbors etc. You will be questioned who gave you the authority to share Gods Word as well as be questioned on each and every thing you do that is work for the Lord. I’m thankful that in Isiah we are told that no weapon or tongue formed against us can prosper.  I’m also grateful that we don’t answer to man as he is not our judge even though at times he tries to be.

Many of you reading probably can’t understand how the reward is greater than the suffering. Our greatest reward in my humble opinion is the peace that passes all understanding. See, I don’t have to figure out my life because I allow God to be the shot caller. He is in control which means I don’t have to be . (Such a weight off my shoulders.)  Until I truly believed Gods Word, I lived a self seeking life constantly begging God to clean the messes I made. I was turning in circles of frustration daily.

God will not force himself on us. He gave us free will to decide if we wanted to be obedient or disobedient. If we surrender all of us and not just the few parts we have; and repent of all the wrong against him and commit ourselves to him 100%; he becomes the shot caller in our lives because we finally gave him back the authority he already held; that we tried to hold for him.

This is the same God who calmed the raging seas . He can calm your raging heart and calm the storms of your life. The same God who rose the dead to life can revive the dead spirit in you that was quenched. The same God who healed the sick and gave sight to the blind can repair your inner workings back to wholeness and open your eyes to truth. The same God who delivered his people to safety can deliver you back to where you belong instead of where you ended up… Your reward is greater than the suffering when you allow God to be the shot caller in your life…

Blessings,

Robin Worgull   (Author of The Conflict Within and The Right-Minded Woman)