God, Are You Really Working In My Life?

I was having lunch with a good friend, and he was sharing with me how much he wanted to “experience” more of the changes that God was working in his life. I truly understand his situation. We hear testimonies about “road to Damascus” healings or changes in people’s lives, and we wonder why things like that don’t happen to us. We can agree with the psalmist when he says in Psalms 83:1, “O God, do not remain quiet; Do not be silent; and, O God, do not be still.” Early in my understanding of the Christ-life, I had expectations of how God would renew my mind and transform my life. Since I began to understand who I was in Christ, my eyes were opened to the lies that I had been believing about myself, God, and others. God was revealing truth to me and was giving me spiritual eyes to see what He wanted to do in my life. He created a thirst and a hunger for change. The problem is that I wanted it, and I wanted it right now! And when it wasn’t happening in the way or in the timing that I expected, then I sounded a lot like David in Psalms 13:

“O Lord, how long will you forget me? Forever? How long will you look the other way? How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul, with sorrow in my heart every day? How long will my enemy (my enemy was my flesh) have the upper hand?”

I would become frustrated with God. I wanted a healed body, victory over the flesh, and a heart of Christ’s love and compassion, but it wasn’t happening quick enough. What was the conclusion? “God doesn’t really care about me. He doesn’t really love me, or He would be changing me much quicker.” Was God working while I was whining? Sure He was. While I was wondering where He was, He was right there quietly working His work in my life (because He can’t get any closer than being in union with me).

I shared with a friend that God is breaking me of my expectations and my timetable. I have found myself at different times over the past five years not being defeated by something that used to defeat me and not dwelling on thoughts that used to “hound” me. Why is that? God was faithful to work in my life in spite of my “whining.” As I learn to just abide in Him with no expectations and to let God be God, then I don’t find myself struggling as much with how He is working. He is teaching me this quiet “faith” walk. It is not flashy! There is no Aggie band (I am an Aggie!) playing victory songs when we start experiencing victory. We just wake up to find that God has been “quietly” changing our lives without our knowing it. Our part is learning that the “faith” walk is a quiet walk. Through faith we “know” that God is working whether we are experiencing it or not. Our part is to abide, and His part is to work. And He is working!

Copyright © 2007 by Bill Loveless. All rights reserved. The use or copying of this material for personal or group study is permitted. This material may not be copied or reprinted for commercial gain or for profit.