Orphan Mindset or I'm a daughter to the KING?

Boy, has God been working on my thought process lately. The revelations that keep arising have been huge and have changed the way I look at things. How I feel about myself and how I view where God has us. Our current Sermon series and my Monday night Bible Study seem to be tied hand in hand in that. The way God works amazes me.

Yesterday's Sermon our Pastor posed the question/challenge to us to think about how we handle life. Do we have an orphan mentality... You know stashing things away because we have no idea when our next meal or money will come our way, OR do we have the mindset that we are sons and daughter of a KING that has never let us be without? He's always.... always.... has provided yet we don't allow our minds sometimes to be without fear.

In that same breath it ties in the other part God has been working on me with. God is our promoter. Why are we always looking for the next promotion or job title? Why aren't we living like God will bring it to us if it's meant to be or asking ourselves are we chasing it because of our own desires or because God is really paving the way?

Are we chasing after _____________ for our own selfish reasons? Am I preparing my fields for what God has asked me to do or am I creating something for myself and making the pieces fit for me?

These questions have been huge for my husband and I a ton in life. Our Sermon series has been on the prodical Son and the extravagant love of his father.

This morning on our way back from taking my husband to work the kids were watching Prince Caspian and lines from the movie hit me like a ton of bricks as I was thinking back on what I learned this weekend and am praying for revelation on.

Aslan is talking to Lucy in the forest and he tells her, "Things never happen the same way twice." When she asks him why he didn't show up when they needed him like before. It's soooooooo true with God. If he showed up the same way twice would we really need the journey and stretching period to be dependent on him for our every breath? There would be no learning big steps, a deep faith, or a new revelation of God's love and provision for us.

Then it tied in if we have an orphan mindset and out to make things happen for ourselves when Peter tells Lucy (who is trying to get him to focus on who really is the one who can win... Aslan) "I think we've waited for Aslan long enough." Oh how many times have I gone out and said, "Yea, God I have waited long enough for you to show up and I haven't heard or seen you so I'm just going to run into this battle swords swinging and I am going to be victorious!" The battle never turns out pretty for me. Trust me. It isn't until I am knee deep in the battle totally useless that I call out and Aslan/God comes roaring through my battle to save me. If I would have just been patient and trusted I could have walked in with God.

I need the reminder that we are not the ones that promote ourselves. That we are not to hoard our resources (whatever they may be) because we are fearful it'll never be there again to get us to where we feel we need to be. Oh that lesson since the beginning of this year has been a hard one for us. We know God wants us at a certain point. Oh how he has shown that, yet he keeps telling us not yet.... do this instead. It's hard yet following that and trusting he will bring us back to where we know he wants us has been so beautiful. The growth in faith and trust has been something we would've missed if we kept it all to ourselves, or all of the missed opportunities to share Christ where we were at.

This though is a mindset that is being worked on from the second we wake up to the time we lay our head on the pillow. We by no means are successful at this and we more times than not have an orphan mindset thinking we only have ourselves. It has been a refreshing reminder all these months that God keeps saying, "You are my Son/Daughter. I have given you my robe, given you sandals, and a ring on your finger." (Luke 15:22) His extravagant love for his son to still provide even when his son went and thought he could do it all on his own. How often do I wonder and end up in the pig trough? I put myself in my own turmoil because of my orphan "I only have me" "I have to save this or nothing will happen again" mindset. I love the way my Pastor said it... "Freedom is in joyful submission NOT in independence." and that "revelation is in the heart taught by the Spirit and information is just from your head."

I want joyful submission. No fear and knowing that even the birds don't hoard cause they aren't sure where their next _______ may come. They live each day for that day, doing what they are to do, saving nothing for tomorrow, and know that God will provide for their every need where they are at. Didn't God provide manna every day and the Israelites and they never went without for 40 years!? They didn't save it in their bags for later either. God will provide for me that same way if I just keep my eyes on him and not think I have to make life for me. I don't want to be Doubting Thomas (John 20: 24-31) or worry like Martha (Luke 10:38-42). I want to seek the revelation from The Spirit. I want to stop carrying my load myself and putting everything in cracks " just in case" and just know that when I need it God will bring it right then and there... full trust. I want to be like Mary who knew that it wasn't in making sure the to-do lists were prepared, all the plans in place, and set aside for "what if" or "just in case" she just went to Jesus and sat at his feet. That was all that mattered and God took care of the rest.

I want the mentality everyday that I am a daughter that doesn't need to worry about where anything will come from or when, just know that it will. It will come. Whatever it is... it will arrive at the exact moment I need it and I don't need to store or seek an answer myself. I need to align my motives with God's and not be self seeking. I don't want to live like an orphan anymore. I want to remember to seek the revelation when doubt or worry comes in and seek God's truth in his Word not stew in my own thoughts. That always leaves me feeling worse when I stew. Peace comes when I open the pages and hear his voice as I read the life giving words on the page.

I will stop stashing _____________ around the "house" because I have a Father that will provide for my every need!!!