WHEN GOD INTERRUPTS YOUR PLANS

Most of us begin our days with some kind of plan. We know where we need to go, what we hope to accomplish, and how we believe everything should unfold. There is nothing wrong with making plans. In fact, planning can be a sign of wisdom and responsibility. But we must always leave room for God to interrupt them.

Proverbs 16:9
“A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.”

An interruption can sometimes feel frustrating because it changes your schedule and takes away your sense of control.
Maybe it’s a conversation that changes the direction of your day.
Something you were counting on doesn’t happen or someone needs your help when you had planned to be doing something else.

FRONT PORCH FRIDAY — THE PRESSURE TO BE EVERYTHING FOR EVERYONE

“For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? For if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.”
—Galatians 1:10

Here we are again on Front Porch Friday, and today we are bringing our series, “Things God Never Meant for Us to Carry,” to a close.

Throughout this week, we have talked about the weight of tomorrow, the need to control everything, the responsibility to fix everyone, and the guilt of what God has already forgiven.

WHEN GOD HAS FORGIVEN

There are things we carry because life placed them upon us, and there are things we continue carrying long after God has offered to take them away.
Guilt belongs in that second category.

It has a way of following us into new seasons, reminding us of old failures and causing us to question whether we are truly worthy of the Grace we have received.
But if God has forgiven your past, He never intended for you to keep living beneath the weight of it.

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”
—Romans 8:1

There is a difference between conviction and condemnation.

THE RESPONSIBILITY TO FIX EVERYONE

“I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.”
—1 Corinthians 3:6

This week, we have been looking at “Things God Never Meant for Us to Carry.”

We have talked about the weight of tomorrow and the need to control everything. Today, we come to a burden that often grows out of a genuine love and concern for those we love.
It is feeling we have, that it is our responsibility to fix everyone.

When someone we love is hurting, struggling, or making choices that are damaging their life, we naturally want to help. We offer advice, provide encouragement, and do everything we know to do to lead them in a better direction.

But if we aren’t careful, we can begin carrying the responsibility for decisions that only they can make.

Paul said, “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.” Paul understood his role. He could plant the seed. Apollos could water it. But neither of them could create the growth.

That part belonged to God.

THE NEED TO CONTROL EVERYTHING

“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
—Proverbs 3:5–6

This week, we are looking at “Things God Never Meant for Us to Carry.”

Yesterday, we talked about the weight of tomorrow. Today, I want to talk about another burden that can leave us mentally, emotionally, and spiritually exhausted—the need to control everything.

Most of us like to know what is happening. We want to understand the plan, know where the road is leading, and feel certain that everything will turn out the way we believe it should.

There is nothing wrong with wanting direction. But sometimes, our desire for direction slowly becomes a need for control.

THINGS WE WERE NEVER MEANT TO CARRY - PT. 1
THE WEIGHT OF TOMORROW

“Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.”
—Matthew 6:34

There are some burdens God never intended for us to carry. Yet somehow, we pick them up, place them upon our shoulders, and then wonder why we feel so tired.

One of the heaviest is the weight of tomorrow.

Tomorrow is filled with things we can’t see yet. We don’t know what conversations will take place, what decisions will have to be made, or what unexpected situations may arise, and Because we don’t know, our minds often begin filling in the blanks.

How many of you find yourselves imagining what could go wrong. You prepare yourself for problems that may never happen. Before long, you are carrying the weight of a day that hasn’t even started yet.

FRONT PORCH FRIDAY’S — WHAT HAS GOD DONE FOR YOU LATELY?

“Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul.”
— Psalm 66:16

For the past few weeks on Front Porch Friday’s, I have shared letters from some of you and played songs that connected with your stories. Those moments have reminded us that behind every comment, every email, and every name is a real person walking through a real season of life.

But today, instead of reading a letter, I want to ask you a simple question:

What is one thing God has done for you lately?

THE BLESSING OF A QUIET LIFE

“And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:11–12

There is something beautiful about a quiet life. I often long for it, and purposefully seek it when I can.

The world often teaches us that a meaningful life must be a busy life. We are encouraged to accomplish more, become more, build more, and make certain that others notice what we are doing. Before long, we can begin measuring the value of our lives by how full our calendars are or how impressive our accomplishments appear.

ENJOY THE LIFE GOD HAS GIVEN YOU

“This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” — Psalm 118:24

You are allowed to enjoy the life God has already given you.

Not every morning has to begin with a problem to solve, a burden to surrender, or a lesson to learn. Not every moment must carry some deep meaning or lead to a major decision. Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is simply receive the day God has placed before you with gratitude.

Enjoy your coffee. Laugh with your wife. Notice the sunrise. Listen to the birds. Appreciate something beautiful without feeling as though you must turn it into an assignment.

We can become so focused on where we are going that we forget to appreciate where we are. We pray about what God will do next, while overlooking what He has already done. We wait for the next door to open, the next prayer to be answered, or the next season to begin, while the goodness of God is sitting right in front of us.

Psalm 118:24 does not say, “This is the day the Lord hath made, so we must figure everything out.” It says, “We will rejoice and be glad in it.”

BEYOND THE FOG

Yesterday we were talking about fog of all things.
The fact that Fog has a way of making everything feel closer than it really is. It limits our vision, hides familiar landmarks, and causes us to question roads we have traveled many times before.
Yet one thing we must remember is that fog is always temporary.
It may settle in for a while, but eventually it lifts—and what was hidden becomes visible again.

Life has seasons like that. There are times when we cannot see where God is leading us. We pray, but the answer does not seem clear. We search for direction, but every road appears concealed and foggy to us.
We may even begin to wonder if we have somehow missed God’s turn or wandered away from His path somehow.

But the absence of clarity does not mean the absence of God.

Isaiah 42:16
“And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight.”