Session 21
How to stop relying on yourself and let Jesus in
From 2 Chronicles: A 28-Day Devotional
"Yes Jesus, I do love you. But my job? You don't understand. I've got it."
"Jesus, I love you. But I really like this girl, too. I can't date them and be as open about my relationship with you. But it's OK, I've got it."
It's tempting to only want to follow Jesus on our terms and conditions.
In 2 Chronicles 11 and 2 Chronicles 12, two kings decide to rely on their own power rather than God's. To Jeroboam, worshipping God looked more like a threat of loyalty instead of a way to unify a nation. Rehoboam had established the nation because of how he followed God. But eventually, he turned his back on the Lord.
While it's easy to shrug off these kings and their mistakes, how often do we do the same? We’ll follow God until it costs us a job or a relationship. Then we’ll convince ourselves that it’s not a big deal, we can handle it.
Reality suggests that this isn't just a "them" thing. It's a human thing. We all experience the temptation to deny God and push through in our own power.
The grace of God is that when we do walk away from Him, He doesn't let us stay there. The threat of war humbled Jeroboam and Rehoboam and led them back to God. Sometimes the consequences of our decisions aren't just bad circumstances; they're God’s grace because they create humility in us that draws us back to Him.
Humility isn't a reminder of the bad that we do, and it's not a mindless act of submission. Humility is saying, "Jesus, I really can't do this anymore. I'm going to follow you, regardless of the rest. I'm going to trust you'll make this good." Maybe you did choose the job over Jesus, or the relationship. Jesus does and will redeem and restore bad choices, we just have to look back to Him (1 Peter 5:10).
Reflect:
- What is one thing in your life that you know is not God’s best for you, and you are trying to handle on your own?
- What is one step you can take today to humble yourself and return that area of your life to Jesus?