Did we Downgrade...?
Do you like UPGRADES?
I love them.
Something new,
Something fresh,
Something BETTER!
Heck yeah!!!
How about DOWNGRADES?
Booo...
Why would you want to do that?
How can that ever be a good thing?
What if you were DOWNGRADING with God without even knowing it?
This happened a lot in the Bible...
1) Abraham DOWNGRADES from God's original plan with his son. God had Isaac as a part of His plan, but Abraham messes things up by trying to "help" God out and sleeps with his wife's servant and has Ishmael. God ends up promising to bless and multiply him too, but not without a cost. Those two nations (Israel vs Palestine) have been at it for thousands of years. What a DOWNGRADE to God's original plan!
2) Moses DOWNGRADES from God's original plan of sending just him.
When God first told Moses to go to Egypt and free His people, Moses came up with excuse after excuse on why he wasn't capable including that he couldn't speak that well. Finally God got fed up and relented to add his brother Aaron to lead with him. This was NOT God's original plan. This was a DOWNGRADE from God's original plan. Keep in mind that his brother ended up making a golden calf as an idol for the Israelites to worship and led them astray. What a huge DOWNGRADE!
3) Israels DOWNGRADES from God being their king to a human.
The Israelites begged and pleaded for a human king. They wanted to be like all the other nations around them. Being different with God as their king was not good enough in their eyes. So they DOWNGRADED to a series of human kings that led them astray and split up the nation and had issues ever since.
What are we doing in our lives that is causing a DOWNGRADE from God's original plan?
God is all powerful but He will NOT force us to obey.
God will respond accordingly to our actions,
And that can be both good or bad.
Our decisions,
Our obedience,
Our faithfulness to God's will,
Can change everything about the direction of our lives.
We can be going to church and praying before meals and bed and still be wandering outside of God's will.
Abraham was still worshiping God and loving Him as He was making HUMAN plans that conflicted with God's.
What would have happened if Abraham asked God at least ONCE in whether sleeping with Hagar was a good idea?
If God told Abraham "no", do you think Abraham would have done it?
Most likely NOT!
Then the world would have been saved how many thousands of years of wars and conflict. Even terrorist. Even 9/11. Oh myyy O_o.
It's amazing the things we do to DOWNGRADE ourselves with God without even knowing it.
There's simple way for you to AVOID the DOWNGRADE.
ASK God.
SEEK. LISTEN. OBEY.
Here's 3 steps on how to Make Decisions with God.
Get into a quiet place where you can hear yourself think and do the following:
1) ASK God the Question
- Write down the questions you want to ask God and ask one at a time.
2) SEEK and wait.
- When you ask one question, PAUSE and WAIT. Close your eyes to notice any thought that comes to mind. It doesn't have to make sense. Just write it down like a 5 year old would. Practice child-like faith.
3) ASK for DETAILS.
- Ask a FOLLOW-UP question to get more details on what you just wrote down. Ask "Holy Spirit, what do You mean? Can you make it clear?". PAUSE and WAIT again with your eyes closed and write down what comes to mind. Rinse and repeat as needed.
Keep asking the same question until you feel confident in what God is telling you. Don't rush it. Take your time.
If this is your first time, then ask the same question for 1 week straight.
You'll be pleasantly surprised. ^_^
It's just like talking to a friend.
You go back and forth.
You speak AND you listen.
Now do that with God.
Have fun!
"Dear Heavenly Father,
I want the FULL version of your plan.
Don't let me DOWNGRADE myself out of human ambition,
Don't let me miss my mark with you out of impatience.
Teach me patience and surrender,
How to sit with You and ask You for DETAILS,
To not ASSUME anything that will DOWNGRADE Your plan.
Teach me how to have a REAL conversation with You,
Bringing you all my burdens and trials,
And REALLY walking through them WITH You.
Strengthen my CONNECTION with You,
Grow my desire to SERVE You,
Increase my SENSITIVITY to Your will.
In Jesus name, Amen."
God has AMAZING plans for you!
Keep SEEKING Him to get the FULL UPGRADED version. ^_^
I declare that you will get the FULLNESS of God's plan sin your life, in Jesus name Amen!
