Ever have one of those days when following Jesus seems so hard? I had one of those days recently! I've been trying to be diligent in following through with people and relationships. I've attempted to be a good steward of all that has been entrusted to me. I've even tried to ensure that I was Christ-like with everyone I've encountered. All-in-all, I feel like I'm doing a pretty good job. I'm a little tired, I'm a little strained, but my head's above water. Then I got an email from a friend...
I had done something that had offended my friend. It wasn't intentional. I wasn't being malicious. Honestly, I didn't think it was a big deal. Seems like a little bitty mistake. But apparently my actions had put a strain on the relationship. My friend took the high road. My friend approached me humbly. My friend confessed any offense that might be theirs. But my friend called me out, and no one likes that!
Honestly, this is not what I needed to hear. I'd had a stressful week where I've been on my best "Jesus behavior." I've worked tirelessly with little thanks and I'm getting ready for a really busy week leading to a really important event. I have been in meetings non-stop and my phone won't stop ringing...(seriously-I had to stop that sentence to answer two phone calls-on different phone lines!!!! Are you kidding me??????)
I read this passage and I think, "Man the Israelites can't catch a break." They get approached by a bunch of wandering waifs who cry out for mercy. The mere sight of the Hivites was probably enough to make them wonder what they could possibly have that God would want to give to Israel. So they agree to peace, because it makes good sense and seems like a nice thing to do. Then, right when they play nice, the rug gets pulled out from under them! It almost seems like a trick. They're doing their best-isn't that enough? What else does God want?
I'm reminded of a certain scripture in the New Testament. Jesus is speaking and says, "Apart from the Father, I can do nothing." Jesus was dependent on the Father. And if Jesus was dependent, the Israelites definitely have to be-and so do I. They didn't consult God. I'm not sure why, but they didn't speak to him about this issue. They were blind to the obvious.
It doesn't matter how good our "Jesus behavior" is. What matters is who we are. We're God's children, dependent on the Father for everything. We NEED him! We NEED to seek his face. We NEED to be humble enough to know that we're going to screw stuff up on our own. We NEED to listen when he says something and we NEED to do what he says!
So I apologized to my friend, and I apologized to my Father. I need to be listening to God's voice rather than my own. It's my hope that you too will allow God to speak into your blind spots, even if it hurts a little. The outcome is much better than a serious accident!
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