My Way is Not THE Way

(Read Habakkuk 1)

The older I get, the less likely I want to learn from other people, especially younger ones. Yes I sound like a curmudgeon, but it happens to everyone. When it comes to learning more about the Holy Spirit in people’s lives however, I thirst for knowledge. God works through all of us differently because He knows what we’re capable of and where our weaknesses are. He knows what we will be as a finished product. So everyone’s story is equally interesting and powerful.

There’s an Army doctor in our life group who offered to share his story with me. He and his wife are the quietest folks in our group, but when they share — everyone listens. The pearls of wisdom from them are inspiring and useful. They are some of the most mature followers of Christ I have met in my life. We spoke last week but due to technical difficulties, our chat never made it into a devotional. Yesterday, we talked for an hour and a half about his walk with Jesus, his life, his family, and anything else I asked him about. He’s a kind and caring soul, so he probably felt obliged to be polite.

“Look at the nations and watch—
and be utterly amazed.
For I am going to do something in your days
that you would not believe,
even if you were told.”
Habakkuk 1:5

Habakkuk was a prophet from Jerusalem around 612 BC. We don’t know much about him other than that he boldly challenged God in his prayers. From the sufferings his people were enduring, he asked God, “How long should I suffer?” Aren’t you going to do something about my situation? When we read this passage most of us are thinking, can you really say that to God? God knows what’s going on in our lives and I believe as long as we’re respectful, He’s OK with our questions.

My friend told me that when he was the ripe age of five, he realized that he wanted a personal relationship with God. “I noticed that others had one and I wanted to have that same connection,” he told me. At a backyard Bible study, people were given the opportunity to accept Jesus Christ as their Savior. “I stepped forward on my own to be Baptized. Full immersion body dunk,” he added. I smiled and shook my head picturing this kindergarten-aged boy boldly stepping up to publicly show his faith and consciously accepting Jesus into his life. Wow.

I asked him how this early experience changed him, how it prepared him for his Christian journey? I was curious about the kind of foundation it would lay at such an early age. “This experience created ammunition for the Holy Spirit,” he declared. OK, that certainly is the right perspective. He continued, “It gave me an indwelling of the Holy Spirit. God has directed plans in my life that I have tried to follow.”

God answered Habakkuk’s complaints without ambiguity. He basically told the prophet, look I’m doing something incredible through your suffering. I have a much greater plan than you will ever know or understand. I am setting something up that will be evident some day, but if I told you every detail, you still wouldn’t understand.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.”
Proverbs 3:5-6

Later in our conversation, I learned that my friend went to Liberty University prior to attending medical school. “It was a blessing in many ways,” he examined. He directed small groups with spiritual leadership and was surrounded by other passionate believers. Some of his college friends questioned the authenticity of his 5-year-old acceptance of Jesus. They questioned and scoffed at how a 5-year-old can be saved. Romans 1:20 teaches us that, God’s invisible, divine, and perfect qualities can be clearly seen in all His creations. “God can save anyone. So, why can’t He save a 5-year-old,” my friend countered. While he didn’t say it, I could see this defense provided armor for my friend’s faith. It kept him walking on the path God set before him.

Ever since I met the Army doc, I’ve known that he’s always wanted to be a medical missionary. He explained, “Despite this lifetime goal, God has had different paths for me to get there.” My friend did not get into the med school of his choice. “It sent me into a moment of despair,” he added. “I thought I checked all the right boxes.” He laughed. I could see the healed scars from this setback. “I really had repressed the rejection,” he admitted. Sometimes, we’re so full of our own merit, that we don’t see other paths. “I applied and was accepted at VCOM. This was God’s plan for me.”

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
Romans 8:28

“All things” should be interpreted to mean each and every circumstance in life, including pain, joy, happiness, and suffering. “Work together,” refers to God taking action. Most importantly, “good” does not mean carefree and easy. God’s goal is to bring us to His kingdom in eternity and ultimately to give Him glory. This should provide comfort for us, not from a perspective of a lack of suffering, but rather that our waiting is not wasteful but is meaningful for all followers of Christ.

My friend did not get into the residency program of his choice either. But through God’s choices, he made powerful life-changing friendships, and after joining the Army and met his wife. Even though his version of his plans didn’t work out, God’s version, “…became the most amazing 3 years of my life. Practically everyone around me was a believer, which was good because we weren’t part of a church at that time.” How many times have you experienced this in your life? We can’t see God working, but he always is. If we deny that God is working in our lives, we have blinders on.

“I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.”
1 Corinthians 9:22-23

I love to explore how other followers of Christ interact with non-believers. I’m fascinated by how they respond to questions about their faith. “With honesty and reality,” Doc replied. He went on to explain this deeper. “We like to create an algorithm to create the Gospel in people, but people want what is real. People crave the truth. I share what I believe is true, what my experience is.” He referred to Paul’s statement (from 1 Corinthians above) about being “all things to all people” to mean that we need to meet them where they are.

Confirmation Bias
As a Physician, my friend encounters plenty of resistance in his work. “Patients want to hear what they want to hear,” he said. “Sometimes, the patient is the biggest barrier to healing.” That metaphor applies to us as Christians too. Am I willing to be wrong, weak, or lesser even when God knows best? We are all born with an innate sense of being right, but it’s our self-perceived version of being right. Can we be willing to admit when we’re wrong? My friend explained, “When I meet resistance I maintain professionalism and God gives me clarity to approach the heart of the matter. It allows even my most challenging patients to encounter the calm presence and clarity that God offers. He said that even if his most difficult patients are not ready to listen, hopefully, they see an open door for future encounters.

“Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?
Tell me, if you understand.
Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!
Who stretched a measuring line across it?”
Job 38:4-5

Through our conversation, I was pointed to a display of honest and sincere humility. I learned that we think we check all the right boxes to earn our place, but God has to intervene sometimes to check additional ones. Just like a flight from New York to Los Angeles, throughout the trip there is a need for constant tweaks and corrections. The hand of God is abundantly visible in my friend’s life. “His ways are not our ways. If we follow him, we’ll make mistakes, we’ll even fail more than once, but He will protect us.” We might not understand His plans for us now or ever, but our place is to follow Him and trust in Him.

When asked to explain the simplicity of our faith, my friend said, “Christianity is not rocket science. It’s a miracle. It’s not complicated, but we sometimes make it that way.”

Key Applications:

1. Do you feel God has a plan for your life? Do you listen? Think of times when your spiritual instincts have pointed you towards something OR away from something. Did you listen?
2. Have you ever publicly shown your acceptance of Jesus Christ? If you haven’t, would you ever? It’s an uncomfortable scenario for many of us, but the more comfortable you become with sharing your faith, the more the words flow through you.
3. Be open to God’s guidance in your life. Don’t be an obstacle to His plans for you. Read Habakkuk 1 and pray. Have a dialog with God. Be real. Have an honest conversation. Look and listen for how He responds to you.

Where else in your life can you live out the teachings of Christ? Look for next week’s Devotion.