Most of us have heard countless sermons based on the premise that we need to trust in the character of God when we’re going through trials.
But we also need a basic and innate confidence in God’s character in our times of blessing.
If you’re suspicious of God’s intentions in your life, not only will you struggle to trust Him in the hard times, you’ll find it nearly impossible to enjoy the good times.
When you operate out of a basic framework of spiritual suspicion, when God blesses you financially, you’ll receive it with a heavy dose of guilt, rather than responding with gratitude and generosity.
Suspicion assumes that even if all your kids are healthy and doing well in school, sickness and struggle are lurking just around the corner. You’ll squander your entire season of peace and favor worrying about the stormy weather that you’re sure to encounter soon.
In other words, being suspicious of God means believing that His blessings are too good to be true. And they’re on the verge of slipping away any moment.
The truth is, God’s blessings are too good to be true. That’s what grace is all about. You didn’t earn it. You don’t deserve it. But He gave it. So enjoy it. And give all the praise to Jesus in the process.
Stop squandering your season of blessing by living in a state of suspicion.
Enjoy the favor of God in all its fullness-and trust in the Lord with all your heart. Not just in the bad times. But in the good times, too.
This hit home with me. I can't tell you how many times I have said, "I am just waiting for the other shoe to drop." I am afraid to praise God for fear that it will be taken away; I can't believe how blessed we are at times, so I think something bad is bound to happen soon. As I enter the final weeks of the Christmas season, my goal is to take time each and every day to remember that while "bad" things might come my way, they aren't going to happen because something is too good to be true. I serve a Father who answers prayers and blesses me in ways I never thought possible. I need to respond to these blessings with gratitude and praise; I can't waste my time worrying when they will be taken away. I praise Him here and now.
But we also need a basic and innate confidence in God’s character in our times of blessing.
If you’re suspicious of God’s intentions in your life, not only will you struggle to trust Him in the hard times, you’ll find it nearly impossible to enjoy the good times.
When you operate out of a basic framework of spiritual suspicion, when God blesses you financially, you’ll receive it with a heavy dose of guilt, rather than responding with gratitude and generosity.
Suspicion assumes that even if all your kids are healthy and doing well in school, sickness and struggle are lurking just around the corner. You’ll squander your entire season of peace and favor worrying about the stormy weather that you’re sure to encounter soon.
In other words, being suspicious of God means believing that His blessings are too good to be true. And they’re on the verge of slipping away any moment.
The truth is, God’s blessings are too good to be true. That’s what grace is all about. You didn’t earn it. You don’t deserve it. But He gave it. So enjoy it. And give all the praise to Jesus in the process.
Stop squandering your season of blessing by living in a state of suspicion.
Enjoy the favor of God in all its fullness-and trust in the Lord with all your heart. Not just in the bad times. But in the good times, too.
This hit home with me. I can't tell you how many times I have said, "I am just waiting for the other shoe to drop." I am afraid to praise God for fear that it will be taken away; I can't believe how blessed we are at times, so I think something bad is bound to happen soon. As I enter the final weeks of the Christmas season, my goal is to take time each and every day to remember that while "bad" things might come my way, they aren't going to happen because something is too good to be true. I serve a Father who answers prayers and blesses me in ways I never thought possible. I need to respond to these blessings with gratitude and praise; I can't waste my time worrying when they will be taken away. I praise Him here and now.
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