Doing My Own Thing

Deciding for myself what is best for me.  
Reacting - and sometimes over-reacting - to the situations around me.
Spending my money on me and what I want.
Determining my next step without consulting anyone.
...
And then quickly going down that path without stopping to evaluate whether it's the right one for me.

Any of these describe your life?

I definitely find myself in these situations sometimes.

Do you know how God responds to us when we act like this?  "You have abandoned me; therefore I now abandon you." 2 Chronicles 12:6.

I want to go my own way? He let's me. Don't get me wrong - he still loves me.  He hears. He cares.

It breaks his heart when I wander away and abandon him in any part of my life.

God lets me have this freedom of choice because he wants my whole heart. He wants me to choose him over myself. If I don't choose to line my life up with his truth, he lets me. And then I pay the consequences for those bad choices. Sometimes there are very long-term consequences. We share this broken world together so I know you've been there.  You might be there right now.

Saying whatever you want to say when you're angry - how well does that work?

Spending all of your time working. Too busy to spend any time with God. Where has that gotten you?

Spending all your money on 'stuff' and finding yourself deeply in debt. Yeah - the consequences of not being obedient with our money are nasty.
Stressful. Depressing - And can last a very long time.

God lets us make our own choices because he wants us to learn to choose him over everything else.

Everything else.

How are we doing?  Are we choosing God and what he wants? Where do we need to improve?  Or maybe we need to start.

There is no better time than now.

Thank you for never really abandoning us, Abba Father.  You are always beside us, willing to guide and help us when we turn to you.