Before I left to Germany last year, I was overcome with anxiety over what kind of person I had become over the past 8 months. I had burned a bridge with a longtime friend of my husbands, I told one of my best friends a secret that everyone knew, except her and I told another friend how I really felt about her. In my mind I felt like I was standing up for people - standing up for my husband, standing up for a friend and standing up for myself. What I was really doing was destroying peoples trust and respect and it left a lot of mess for me to clean up (which I'm still doing). So one night I crawled into bed and opened up my Bible and prayed that God would lead me to find what I was supposed to read that night. He is so amazing in what he had shown me, and I was called to share it with you girls. I have the Bible that contains notes and commentary from Joyce Meyer its called "The Everyday Life Bible", if you don't have this Bible and you need a new one I would suggest getting it, it is so awesome. The passage I read that night was from Isiah 1-3.
"Cease to trust in [weak, frail and dying] man, whose breath is in his nostrils [for a short time]; in what sense can he be counted as having intrinsic worth?" -Isiah 2:22
The part that hit me most came from Joyce's insight when she writes:
"In Isaiah 2:22 God asks, "Why are you putting your trust in frail people who are only alive for so short a time?" Then in the next verse, God says that he is removing from His people their props - the external things on which they depend, The reason? He wants people to trust Him.
What happens to us when our props are pulled out from under us? We discover what we are really leaning on, what we are really rooted and grounded in. Let me give you an example:
My husband and I play golf frequently . On the golf course are little twigs that will someday grow into trees. Those little plants have no strength or roots and they are so tiny and weak that usually, there are sticks set on either side of them as props to hold them up. Without those sticks to hold them up, the would be destroyed when the wind and rain come.
That is the way we are as new believers. When we begin our walk with God we need a prop system, something to help us stand up straight and strong. We need a group of people around us to keep us studying the Bible, praying, and seeking the Lord. If we do not have that support system, when the storms-of life come against us they will blow us over.
Our support system may take many forms, but whatever it is, sooner or later God is going to start taking it away by removing the props from under us. At first, this is pretty scary because we do not understand it, and we do not like it. Our props may be things from which we derive pleasure and satisfaction - things like singing, playing an instrument, being part of the worship team, or being a recognized leader or pastor in the ministry Then suddenly, for whatever reason, we lost that position or God requires us to give it up. It is then that we discover how much of our sense of value and worth depends on the things we are doing.
In order for us to grow, God sometimes has to strip away everything we put our security in - everything else but him. This is because He is a God of restoration. He restores our minds, our emotions, our souls and our health. When we start to restore a beautiful expensive piece of antique furniture we have to first strip away the old paint varnish before we apply a new finish. We have to sand it so the new application will stick. If you are going through that stripping process, don't be upset. Cooperate with God while He does the work.
Do not be like a twig thrashing about in the wind because its props have been taken away. Instead, put down some roots so that one day you can stand tall and steady and be a tree of righteousness And remember that whatever God takes away from you or requires you to give up, He will give you more than you previously had, and everything will be better than before."
Now I don't know about you, but I felt so convicted after I read this analogy. I asked myself a few things:
What was my support system? I didn't interpret this as being part of anything to do with the Church as Joyce suggests, however I know what my support system is and that is being a good friend and daughter, mother, sister and wife. Up to this point in my life, I had never had anything to threaten my relationship to people who I loved. I thrived on being a good and trustworthy friend, an honest wife and a loving and caring mother. The fact that I was often not home long enough to get involved in any gossip or get upset at the way people treated me or my family was a prop for me. There simply was not enough time to notice! I used this is as a prop to stand tall (or have the illusion that I was a strong Christian). However, being home for those 8 months changed my relationship with a lot of people I love the most.
Who was I when my props were taken away? I was the thrashing twig with no roots set down - I was a bad example of a girl who loves God. I had no control over my emotion, I never went to God or the Bible as to what I should do about the way I should deal with things, instead I acted on impulse and put more weight on how people viewed me. I was standing up for everyone else, except for God and I had no where to run to - no where to escape and resume my illusion of being a good Christian.What has God taken away from me or required me to give up? Friendship. Respect. Trust.
Has God given me more than I previously had and are things better than before? Yes but slowly, I just began this change but I feel totally restored. My relationship with God has come first, and in turn my relationships with my friends family have started to flourish. I am setting down my roots and keeping my face directed towards heaven so that when God takes away my props the next time I will be standing tall and everyone around me will know what I am really leaning on, and that will be God.
Ask yourself today,
What is your support system or prop?
Who are you when the storms of life comes against you?
Do you lean on God and stand tall, or do you thrash around in the wind?
Do you lean on God and stand tall, or do you thrash around in the wind?
If you are like me, and have set down roots in a desert land with no hope of growing, I suggest you hit your knees and ask God to restore you! You will begin to see changes in your life that are so evident you cant help but look up and give thanks!
If you have a moment read Jeremiah 17:5-8
Written By: Becky Bayda
