What Stirs and What Stinks

Romans 8:30-31

And those He predestined, He also called; and those He called, He also justified; and those He justified, He also glorified. What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us?

When we feel defeated in life, this passage reminds us that God has a purpose for us, and He has already planned our victory. From start to finish, God created a plan for us in Christ, called us to His plan, justified us so we would be worthy of our calling, and glorified the end result. What else can we say, but if God is for us, who can stand against us to destroy His plan? No one can; God is greater than any assault that comes against us. In fact, He uses the Devil’s assaults to perfect His plan for us.

Romans 8:28

We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose.

God uses all things – hurt, disappointment, loss, attack, failure, success – to work together for those who are called to His purpose. If life just doesn’t seem to be working out, the first question you should ask yourself is “Whose purpose am I serving?” If you aren’t living life out of the purpose to which God has called you, it might be time to reassess. If you are living life simply to fill your own desires, you will find yourself empty and longing for more. You have a purpose greater than yourself, and your only hope of finding real joy is to start living that purpose – the plan to which God predestined and called you.

Part of our growing process as a Christian is to abandon ourselves and our own plans to pursue that thing to which God has called us. God will let our flesh fail enough times as it takes to surrender to His plan. Our failures and disappointments only serve to get us on the right track with God. They have their own purpose in His plan for us.

In order to pursue our God-given purpose, we have to realize what stirs and what stinks in our lives. Where is God stirring you? What is He stirring up in you? Concentrate on that. What stinks? What can you not change or have any control over? If it stinks, stay away from it. God will plant a passion inside you and stir it as a direction of the purpose to which He has called you. He will plant roadblocks of denial, rejection, loss, and closed doors in the places that will steer you off course. All things work together for your good and His glory, so follow the stirring in your life and abandon the stink!

Have a blessed day!