Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is you true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is – His good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:1-2
(NIV)
I think I'm finally getting it (famous last words). God doesn't really care how well I do something, how much I accomplish, how efficient or effective I am. He cares that I'm with Him. Is my heart aligned with His? Do I care about what He does? Am I listening to His voice, am I looking for His direction?
In the training method we use with horses, we will send them out on a circle. It is the human's responsibility to set direction and gait (walk, trot, or canter) and the horse's responsibility to maintain direction and gait until the human gives further direction. This can be accomplished on line (with a rope) or at liberty (no rope) depending on the connection between horse and human. That connection can be gauged by whether or not the horse's eyes and ears are toward me, or somewhere else. This is usually a signal as to how confident he is in my leadership. Regardless of what else is going on around him, I want my horse's confidence and trust. Only then will he be a partner in what we're trying to accomplish, whether it's a trail ride or a training demonstration.
Sometimes the horse needs to spend considerable time out on the circle on line before he actually connects to me mentally. He has to surrender his body to me first, then his mind can be transformed. It is only after his body is surrendered, and his mind is transformed (he's looking at me, eyes and ears) that he can determine what my will is. If I ask him to change direction before his mind is engaged, I will have to exert more pressure to get his attention, then to get him to follow my direction. If, however, we are connected, the transition is fluid, calm, confident, graceful.
Like the horse, my willingness to respond correctly to my Father's leadership is a measure of how well I have surrendered, first my body, then my mind, to His will. Am I confident in His leadership? Do I trust that He wants good for me? Am I paying attention? Even looking for His next direction? Sometimes I get bored out on the circle and my mind wanders. I get my eyes off of Him. I start listening to what's going on in the world around me. I get flustered and nervous. Then He tries to get my attention again, and it takes some pressure, the transition isn't fluid, or graceful, it seems harsh and jerky, not because God is harsh, but because I wasn't connected. It isn't about what I'm doing or even what I'm supposed to be doing, but about being. Being with Him, connected
to Him, is how I can know His will.
This isn't the first time I've learned this, and I'm sure it won't be the last, but I am so thankful that my gracious, loving Father is patient with me, willing to teach me the same lessons over and over and over again. For now, I just want to be with Him.
I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.
John 15:5 (NASB)
(NIV)
I think I'm finally getting it (famous last words). God doesn't really care how well I do something, how much I accomplish, how efficient or effective I am. He cares that I'm with Him. Is my heart aligned with His? Do I care about what He does? Am I listening to His voice, am I looking for His direction?
In the training method we use with horses, we will send them out on a circle. It is the human's responsibility to set direction and gait (walk, trot, or canter) and the horse's responsibility to maintain direction and gait until the human gives further direction. This can be accomplished on line (with a rope) or at liberty (no rope) depending on the connection between horse and human. That connection can be gauged by whether or not the horse's eyes and ears are toward me, or somewhere else. This is usually a signal as to how confident he is in my leadership. Regardless of what else is going on around him, I want my horse's confidence and trust. Only then will he be a partner in what we're trying to accomplish, whether it's a trail ride or a training demonstration.
Sometimes the horse needs to spend considerable time out on the circle on line before he actually connects to me mentally. He has to surrender his body to me first, then his mind can be transformed. It is only after his body is surrendered, and his mind is transformed (he's looking at me, eyes and ears) that he can determine what my will is. If I ask him to change direction before his mind is engaged, I will have to exert more pressure to get his attention, then to get him to follow my direction. If, however, we are connected, the transition is fluid, calm, confident, graceful.
Like the horse, my willingness to respond correctly to my Father's leadership is a measure of how well I have surrendered, first my body, then my mind, to His will. Am I confident in His leadership? Do I trust that He wants good for me? Am I paying attention? Even looking for His next direction? Sometimes I get bored out on the circle and my mind wanders. I get my eyes off of Him. I start listening to what's going on in the world around me. I get flustered and nervous. Then He tries to get my attention again, and it takes some pressure, the transition isn't fluid, or graceful, it seems harsh and jerky, not because God is harsh, but because I wasn't connected. It isn't about what I'm doing or even what I'm supposed to be doing, but about being. Being with Him, connected
to Him, is how I can know His will.
This isn't the first time I've learned this, and I'm sure it won't be the last, but I am so thankful that my gracious, loving Father is patient with me, willing to teach me the same lessons over and over and over again. For now, I just want to be with Him.
I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.
John 15:5 (NASB)
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