“Building a wooden storage box can not be that hard for me. After all, I have helped rehab a dozen houses,” I said to myself while collecting my supplies out of the shed.
I set up my saw horses and plugged in all my power tools. I smiled, thinking how power tools were one of the greatest inventions for those of us who liked to build, especially if you are small. There is nothing like sawing through a 2 x 4 in seconds or driving a screw into boards without turning your wrist. Of course, it also helps to boost your confidence that you can create and fix things. I measured, sawed my boards, and lined up all the pieces to assemble. I had my tools ready except for my square, which is not the shape of a square. It is an L-shaped metal ruler that assures the corners are square and even. However, I was sure I could make this box without it because of my experience. I screwed the boards together only to behold a wobbly wooden mess.
I wondered how many times in my life circumstances that I had done the same thing. When I believed I knew better than the plans created for a project or I skimped on cost by not using good quality, I made a wreck of my project. The same reality is true when I have ignored, altered, or skimped on God’s plans for me. In fact, some of my choices have almost destroyed me.
There is an order and steps to follow in any process and plan of our life. God created all that is in a particular order to match His master plan. Jesus came to earth and followed God’s plan. It comes to reason that only by walking close to Jesus every day and asking Him to help me fulfill my role in God’s plan will I succeed. With my surrender and obedience, I have learned and grown from my painful life lessons.
Life is a continual journey and process of building, repairing, or tearing down. To grow your faith, you will need to surrender and obey God’s plan found in His word and learn from your mistakes. The important thing is that when you fall with Jesus, he will help you keep moving forward. With God’s instruction and committing to His plans, you will experience strength, wisdom, peace, and assurance even in the midst of your challenges. When you are prepared and ready to take on the next project God sends your way, you will be amazed at the end results. Follow God’s plans, and you will overcome, just as Jesus Christ did!
