This Didn't Go the Way I Planned!

Negative thoughts are not the only thoughts we need to take captive.

When we are living connected to God, He will give us "God ideas."  These ideas are then our responsibility to steward just as we do our money, time, and stuff.  When God gives us an idea, it will spark passion in our hearts but it is up to us to act on it. This will require faith -- and blood, sweat, and tears.  

God ideas still need to be worked at in order to become fruit bearing. Just because something was His idea, doesn't mean the road to it will be easy. We will still have to invest time and effort into the fulfillment of the idea.  Many people give up when things get hard. They quit when the path detours away from their plan because they fail to understand that God's route to the goal may different than theirs.

I have learned that my expectation of how things will go, is not always how God orchestrates them. In fact, my plan and God's plan are rarely the same. His route to the goal is different than mine. This is where taking my thoughts captive comes into play.

           We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

                             2 Cor. 10:5

When things don't go the way I expect them to, my thoughts quickly go down a path of, "Well, that didn't work!"  "This must not be from God because I can't get around this obstacle."  "I can't figure out what to do with this sudden turn so it must not be God's plan for me to do this."  Both of these examples are focused on my abilities and don't acknowledge God or give Him an opportunity to move in that situation. 

Just because God leads you in a specific direction toward a goal doesn't mean the way will be easy. Hard work, perseverance and deliberate actions to hold captive your thoughts will be required.  But don't quit!  Don't give up or get discouraged.  Press in to God when things don't go the way you planned.  Hold on to His promises and wait for Him to guide you to the next step.

The great news is that you have been promised victory IF you don't quit (Gal. 6:9).

What situation are you looking at today that you know came from a God idea and that is not going the way you planned?  What are you struggling with?  Have you taken your thoughts captive and redirected them to the promises of scripture?  Share your story in the comment section. 

Don't miss a an article here, sign up to receive every post in your email. I promise I won't share it. Also, share this with friends and family. Use it to open up discussions and for brainstorming. Above all, use this to get you started praying for God's intervention. 

Live God First!

Heidi