If only you could be a fly on the wall when I get my nails done! You would know exactly what I mean when I say that I am a highly sensitive person. When I got my nails done a little while ago, I was tense and kind of skittish like I normally am. As the manicurist was pulling and filing on my nails I was entirely focused on every single movement he made and I kept my fingers pretty stiff in attempt to control how he twisted them towards the evil buzzing thing he was using. He was really a patient man but a few minutes into this process he smiled and said "You relax. I work. Let me work."
How often are we guilty of trying to micromanage what God is doing like I was doing to the manicurist? Ultimately, God is completely in control of our lives. It does not really matter if we trust Him or fight Him, He's quite a bit stronger than us so what He says is what will happen either way. Just like I do not have the ability to assemble acrylic nails on myself, we certainly do not have the ability to do God's job for Him. There is no reason to try.
How often do we try to pick and choose what needs to be changed in our life or line out an exact plan for our lives? Philippians 1:6 says "I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." The things He is doing in our lives right now are not random or inconsequential. He has a plan for our entire lives. He may be changing something that does not make sense right now or maybe we think there is something that should be changed first. Our God sees the whole picture and knows exactly what He is doing. He does not need our help or advice as to how He works in our lives.
How often do we pull away from things that God is intentionally using in our lives because it does not look fun? When I get my nails done, no matter how relaxed I am it hurts a little bit. When the manicurist files on the fake nail it pulls on my real nail and is not extremely enjoyable. Occasionally the evil buzzing thing I mentioned earlier will catch my skin and cut it by the nail. These things hurt yet I choose to go back time after time because I love the end product; it is worth it to me.
Sometimes God has to use painful things in our lives in order to perfectly mold the end product. I guarantee you the end product will be worth it! The hardest thing I have gone through in my life is what gave me such an incredible picture of God's grace and His patience. Without walking through that difficult time in my life, I would certainly have a higher opinion of myself. However, I also would not have such a clear picture of who my God is. It would be much easier for me to doubt Him and disobey Him. The end product He is shaping in your life will be completely worth it, it is all a part of His good, pleasing, and perfect will (Romans 12:2).
Will you let Him work?
