Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Stepping Stones: The Stupor of Self-Sufficiency

Transformational Tip
Clear skies, smooth sailing. We all love when life is storm-free. However, there is always a “yeah but.” Relying on God in the midst of adversity and storms is tough to do, and for most, tough enough even to remember to do. Even with the wake-up call adversity presents, looking to God first is tough for many. Even tougher is that we really forget about Him when life is flowing freely…and this is where the stupor of self-sufficiency sets in. We begin to think less about God…we think we can handle life on our own. Isn’t this one of our foundational building blocks of our struggles. We usually don’t leave God out intentionally, we just forget about His sovereignty and how much He does for us all the time.
It comes down to constancy of trust in God. In addition to trusting Him in a crisis or major decision, strengthen your trust in Him as you move through your day. God cares as much about your tiny trust-steps through daily life as He does about your dramatic leaps of faith. You may think that no one notices while you are in the stupor of self-sufficiency, but the One who is always beside you sees everything…and wants to help you with amazing power and options.
Today, what He can accomplish in and through you is directly proportional to how much you depend on Him…trust Him. Keep track of how many times you think of God first in various parts of your day. Click here to share with the stepping stone community your thoughts on the stupor of self-sufficiency.

Prayer
Dear Father God,
I trust You God with every fiber of my being. I thank you Lord for the times in my life where I am trouble-free. In those times I feel I can recharge my battery…catch up. But I am also aware of the self-sufficiency trap…to falling into the trap and stupor of self-sufficiency. Help me Father to continuously demonstrate my trust in You, to keep my mind steadfast on You. I know that consistently trusting You is vital to me flourishing in Your Presence. I pray with trust in the name of Jesus Christ, and all God’s children said, – AMEN!

The Truth
You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal.
Isaiah 26:3-4
Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods.
Psalm 40:4
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world."
John 16:33