WORK IT OUT WITH GOD

Soul searching is a distraction and deception. It steers one away from a life that could be best lead, directed, and guided by a supreme intelligence that cares. Soul searching convinces one that the answer is within yourself, when the something greater is outside yourself just waiting for your discovery and faith.

That conclusion spawned from a phrase I recently read - "Life isn't about finding yourself. It is about discovering who God created you to be." (A slogan on www.godsnotdead.com poster on Facebook.)

Many brands of vehicles have what is called Standard Features. This is what you can expect on or from the base model. Everything else is a Special Feature and therefore extra money. When an individual is spiritually re-created due to their faith in Christ Jesus, I think there are certain Standard Features that should be applied to our lives. These SFs expose us to the world as the brand of person we are or should be - Christian. 

A few of these SFs are faith, hope, and love. Paul says, "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." (1 Corinthians 13:13) In addition, Jesus, in the book of John, adds a qualifying remark about our greatest Standard Feature - "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:35) Some other SFs listed by God are as follows -

• "It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him." (1 Thessalonians 4:3-6)
• "...give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:18)
• "For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men." (1 Peter 2:15)

I believe that God not only wants a believer to acquire his/her Standard Features of the Faith, but all the Special Features as well. Listen to the heart of God The Father as He encourages the believer to live, move and have our being in Him by observing the fruits of The Spirit in our lives - "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." (Galatians 5:22-23) The better news - God will assist us with manifesting these fruits if we seek Him and them - "And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will." (Romans 8:27)

The key to taking advantage of a car or yourself is knowledge. You can only look within the vehicle and within yourself for so long before considering The Manuel (The Bible) and/or The Technician (The Creator). If you are having a problem with a car, yourself, or simply considering becoming the brand of person known as - Christian - Scripture says change your thinking. 

• Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2)

So, as a Christian we should always be checking back with God's plan for our life. His plan for us is infinitely better than the deepest soul search we could ever perform. Are the Standard Features (foundations of the Faith) working properly? Are the Special Features (powerful, life-giving Spirit) activated? Am I doing what I am designed to do? You can't work it out with just yourself, Work It Out With God.