John 6:61-69
Jesus knew that his disciples were grumbling. So he asked, “Does this bother you? What if you should see the Son of Man go up to heaven where he came from? The Spirit is the one who gives life! Human strength can do nothing. The words that I have spoken to you are from that life-giving Spirit. But some of you refuse to have faith in me.” Jesus said this, because from the beginning he knew who would have faith in him. He also knew which one would betray him.
Then Jesus said, “You cannot come to me, unless the Father makes you want to come. That is why I have told these things to all of you.”
Because of what Jesus said, many of his disciples turned their backs on him and stopped following him. Jesus then asked his twelve disciples if they were going to leave him. Simon Peter answered, “Lord, there is no one else that we can go to! Your words give eternal life. We have faith in you, and we are sure that you are God’s Holy One.”
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
When I read this scripture passage today, I immediately thought, “I know just how Peter felt” [when he said there was no one else that they could go to]. Don’t misunderstand me… I do not consider Jesus a “last resort”…He is the ONLY choice for me. But that doesn’t mean that He has not called me (and you and countless other believers) to do some really hard things… to make some difficult choices and decisions!
If you are like me, there are times when you truly do not know what to do. You don’t have a clue what the best option is in a particular situation… you see pros and cons to all available options. In these instances, I have learned to say, “LORD… it’s up to you. I have no wisdom and discernment about this issue. I don’t even know what to ask You for - except YOUR WILL… so I leave it at that!” Now here’s the tricky part… deep down inside your heart, you probably do have an opinion. You probably know how you really wish things would go. And when God decides differently, you may have to face some difficulties – and accept them. That’s where faith comes into play!
We must follow Jesus…and believe in His life-giving Spirit. We must trust Him to work things out in our best interest. And when He allows our path to be tough and riddled with challenges, we must accept the tests and stick with Him. We must do this not because He is our only hope… but because He is our only hope! Do you see the difference?
I get it. I understand how hard this can be. I am a “git-r-done” kind of girl who likes to cross all the “t’s”, dot all the “i’s” and know exactly how things are going to go from the outset. I like to have a plan, figure out the best way to achieve an outcome, and hop to it! So I am really out of my comfort zone with this faith thing much of the time. Learning to trust God and wait on His timing has not come easily for me… and on any given day, I am still a mess. But I know that Jesus is God’s Holy One… that He is my Rock and my Redeemer – and my only hope. Slowly but surely, I’m learning to rest in that… to trust Him to give me what I need – when I need it! I’m learning to “let go and let God”… and it’s a wonderful thing!
Wherever you are in your journey, understand that there isn’t necessarily a right or wrong answer here...as long as you are trusting in God. You will have days where everything seems peaceful and your confidence soars. There will also be days where you say, “LORD, I don’t think I can do this.” That’s when He will pick you up and carry you for a while. Just do not turn your back on Him. Focus on Jesus and trust Him to always operate in your best interest. Bask in the comfort of feeling His life-giving Spirit deep in your heart!
The most important choice we can ever make is to allow Jesus to make all of the others. Who is making the choices in your life today?
©2013 Debbie Robus
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