I Doubt Mine's Gonna Fit You

When Moses told the nation of Israel what God’s expectations were, they quickly committed themselves to obey. What they never realized was, each expectation would have to be tested and refined in order to fit each of their particular lives. Like a tailor taking in a snip here and letting out a bulge there, the garment of obedience isn’t a one-size-fits-all poncho. It’s a custom designed robe.

The call to obey is universal, but the application of each command must be worked out in our lives. Work out your own salvation in fear and trembling. I do not understand what a command means until I am tested with it. Trust the Lord… is such a generic statement it almost can mean anything until I face my need for Him and have to choose whether I will rely on His goodness or depend on my own understanding. I can declare all day I trust Him and that means nothing until after the test.

Love the Lord… seems easy enough until I have to make choices based on that love. Will I give Him priority over all else I love? Will I deny my natural cravings to allow Him to be supreme? Will my love for Him make all other loves seem like hate?

What it means for me to trust God or to love God is similar to yours but different. Each of these commands have been customized to confront my character, to expose my weaknesses, to reveal my tendencies. They make me struggle with vital aspects of my life, just as yours do your own.

Bottom line: how God is working out my obedience is by refining me into the person He wants me to be. And the same applies to you. Don’t look at me and compare where you are to where I am. You may have already been down this road I’m just starting.