God’s Way is Just…Better

One of my favorite scriptures…

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance of what we do not see. — Hebrews 11:1

Knowing the definition of faith and actually putting it into practice are two different things. Memorizing and quoting the words is a good start, but you have to understand what it means to truly have faith that God has things under control. You have to pray about your situation and really step back and know that God is working in your favor.

If you say, “I have faith that God will help me get through this meeting” and then you spend the morning worrying and stressing about that meeting, that is not truly having faith. If you tell people, “I have faith that I will find a new job” and then you cry every night because you don’t see how a new job can come your way, that is not truly having faith.

Easier said than done…right? Yes, I’m talking to myself there! Most of the time, our first thoughts are the obstacles that will have to be avoided or the difficulties we’ll have to overcome in order to make it to our goal. We can see that end goal way down the road if we just lean to the right a little or get up on our tippy toes and squint! All those bumps in the road and hills we think we have to climb make reaching that goal seem almost impossible. The thing is though, we see those bumps and hills as obstacles, but God sees them as opportunities.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways. — Isaiah 55:8

This scripture makes me so thankful! Thankful that God’s way is different from my way. My way is too hard and stressful! My thoughts send my brain down too many paths all at the same time and then I get confused and lose focus on the goal I was trying to reach in the first place!

There is a song by Don Moen, written all the way back in 1993 and perfectly titled “God Will Make a Way”. It’s one of those songs that I can sing to myself even though I haven’t heard it in years. The words are just so simple and easy to understand.

God will make a way
Where there seems to be no way
He works in ways we cannot see
He will make a way for me

He will be my guide
Hold me closely to His side
With love and strength for each new day
He will make a way, He will make a way

I mentioned earlier that we see obstacles, but God sees opportunities. Most of us get an idea in our head and want it to happen right then…or by next week…but we want it when WE want it. If it happens that way, that’s great, but it didn’t happen because of OUR timetable. It happened because God opened doors that he wanted open at the time he knew would be best for us. He has our best interest in mind all the time. Now sometimes things happen within OUR time because we force it to happen. We get what we want, and it may feel wonderful at the time, but just wait! You will eventually get the feeling that it could have been so much better if you’d have just put it in God’s hands and let him direct your path.

To us, having to wait is tough, especially when you have your heart set on something important. Waiting is an obstacle in our eyes. “If I wait too long, someone else will get that job.” Well, then that job was not the one God had for you. He has something even better! In the waiting, you may have the opportunity to think about and discover new talents and skills you didn’t realize you had. You might come across the opportunity to visit with people you haven’t seen in a while or meet new people while in your job search. The possible opportunities are endless. You may not even realize that what you thought was an obstacle for you, may have been an answer to a prayer for someone else. If you would have taken things into your own hands and done things YOUR way, you would have missed out on these opportunities for yourself and those possible blessings for others. God doesn’t waste opportunities. He will make a way when there seems to be no way if we just believe that HIS thoughts are not our thoughts and HIS way is not our way.

God’s way is just…better.