Letting Go of Understanding

For most of my life, I have lived as if understanding a circumstance or situation would give me peace.  If I could just know “why” something happened or what God was doing in a situation and how He planned to “right” the wrong, the answer would be enough to heal a hurt, provide peace or give me some evidence for how and why I can “trust” God.  I am learning first-hand that my need to understand has mostly caused me bitterness, deeper wounding and most definitely, a deep distrust of God’s character and heart towards me.  In short, my need to understand has stolen so much from me that I can hardly believe it.

I think I must have read this scripture at least a dozen times, but I didn’t really experience the wisdom of the instruction until this last season of my walk with God.

Proverbs 3:5-6 says:

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.

Notice how it says FIRST trust in the Lord with all your heart.  It then says AND lean not on your own understanding.  The rest of the scripture is fantastic, as well.  It actually tells you what the next step in “acting” in trust is: in all your ways submit to Him.  And then, there is the promise: and He will make your paths straight.

How often do you find yourself, in a moment of crisis or a crossroads in your walk saying: “OK Lord, what do you want me to DO?”  Well, there it is.  Read it again. No one is hiding the ball, here!

My friend recently went to the Advanced Captivating retreat held by Ransomed Heart in Colorado and she shared something really profound that the leadership team taught at the event.  They said, essentially, that you can either have God or you can have understanding.  If you choose to have God, you will get God (which is really our deepest desire and need).  His Love and all the fruits of the Spirit – that is love, joy, peace, forbearance, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:21-23).  What they said is that if you choose God, you will get all of these things and maybe you will even get understanding (which, let’s be honest, isn’t going to provide much after you have been filled with all of these other things!).

But if you choose understanding (must have it, will not stop until you get it), you will get neither God nor understanding.  I know the severe cost of going for understanding and I can tell you, this one is a no-brainer. 

Peace and joy to you all.