Simple but difficult

Pete and I had an ongoing argument many years ago. He maintained that life was simple and I said it was complicated. We finally agreed on the idea that life is simple - but difficult. Most truth is pretty simple (to understand), but that doesn't mean it is easy (to apply or obey).

Here's one of those "simple but difficult" concepts: God's sovereignty.

This morning I was juggling and chewing on some ideas and it occurred to me that there are two truths I have taken a long time to learn in life. One of them is this: I am NOT the Assistant Holy Spirit. The other is: Don't turn every difficulty in life into an occasion for self-pity. I realized that really both of those lessons hinge on my understanding of God's sovereignty.

When I first heard the term "sovereignty" I really had no idea, except from the context, what in the world it was supposed to mean. Scripture doesn't use the term "sovereign" when talking about God but the concept is implied and described throughout the Bible. The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI, 1978, vol. 5, pg. 498, article by H.B.Kuhn) says this: "sovereignty" connotes a situation in which a person, from his innate dignity, exercises supreme power, with no areas of his province outside his jurisdiction...as applied to God the term indicates His complete power over all of creation, so that He exercises His will absolutely...God's sovereignty is His omnipotence expressing itself in relation to the created world."

Books have been written trying to explain how this all works in relation to the free will of man and that is totally outside the realm of these lines. What I'm talking about here is the simple assurance that nothing He allows in my life is outside the control of my loving Father. And if He sees fit to allow it, then it should be my good pleasure to receive it. No matter how difficult a pill it is to swallow.

If God is in control of His Holy Spirit's work in other people's lives, then I have no need to jump in there and assist Him (lesson 1 above). He may lead me to share a word or idea but it's not my job to try to change people. It's one thing to serve them and build them up, another to try to change them.

And if God truly is in control of my circumstances, then I have no need to feel sorry for myself (lesson 2 above). I may feel like I'm being taxed beyond the limits of my endurance or patience or whatever but if God has let these circumstances through His filter into my life, then He obviously has a purpose in them. The sooner I learn the lesson, the better.

Praises instead of complaining. It's only reasonable, isn't it? Rom. 12:1-2