Desperation

How did I go from being a twenty yard sprinter to a marathon runner with my spiritual discipline of daily reading?

Repeated failure. I would plan to be a wonderful, patient, soft-spoken mother. I studied the scriptures from time to time when it was convenient and I asked God to help me. But I failed to be even tempered. I often yelled at my precious girls. I had unfinished internal business, but I didn't know how to address it.

Change came when I finally realized how desperately I needed God's help. On my own, I couldn't be kind, Christ-like with our sometimes testy daughters. Stale bible reading and my own efforts couldn't consistently produce the results I longed for.

That was the turning point. Desperation. It caused me to cry out to God for help in making baby steps toward change. I yearned to be deeply open to God's voice in the Scriptures. I listened for the Spirit's voice as I corrected my children, and I obeyed the Spirit's voice as the Lord corrected me. As I taught them, I listened. The Lord taught us all to act like loved daughters.

Desperation led me to life change. I learned the vitality of depending on God and the transforming power of His word.


For Your Consideration

“This is the word of the LORD ...: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty. (Zechariah 4:6, NIV)

Have you ever been desperate to learn from God? To hurdle attitudes that keep you away from God's power?

What was  the outcome?