The God Box

Living in the present is the opposite of how most of us have been conditioned to plan out our future lives. Life may be a gift, but we invest a great deal of time trying to figure out next steps on our own. There’s a lot of pressure we place on ourselves and our expectations of the perfect life. There’s a high value we place on planning and preparing for a future by investing in the right educational opportunities, making good strategic career decisions, establishing strong family traditions and making financial choices that will guarantee our happiness. It’s a lot of work to do all of this well and can be the source of great anxiety. All of this well intended planning is supposed to bring peace and contentment.

Scripture this week reminded me that I have been doing it all wrong and backwards. In Psalm 139 we reflect,  “for it was you who created my being, knit me together in my mother’s womb, already you knew me, test me and know my
thoughts and lead me in the path of life eternal.”

If we live in the present and depend on God for all of our plans, we are actually letting Him lead. When we strive to control everything, we lack the humility that allows God to provide the right opportunities He desires for our peaceful living. If God is in a box that we only open when we need help; we are missing out
on the grace of His divine will for our lives. The gift of peace that surpasses all understanding comes to those that believe that living in the present depends on trusting in God to act on our behalf in the most perfect way. We can’t know or live out our true vocations if we don’t open the box. Keep the lid open and let Him speak to your soul.