At Work in You Both to Will and To Do Of His Good Pleasure (Phil. 2:13,14)
We can praise, trust and obey the Lord knowing that He is our enabler. To enable someone is to give means, authority or power to do what you have directed them to accomplish. He not only supplies us with all that we need according to His sufficient grace, but He effects the changes in, through and with us for His greatest pleasure.
The following are several attributes of God that we can look to for bringing about His will in our lives:
1. TEACHER - He promises to instruct, illuminator and navigate us as to the pathways that He wants us to follow. Jesus said, "But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears and he will tell you what is yet to come." (John 16:13) Let us ask the Lord, "Spirit of God my Teacher be. Showing the things of Christ to me. More, more about Jesus." Count more on the Lord to instruct, illuminate and navigate you in what things you are to say, do and think.
2. CORRECTOR - We can praise God for the fact that He corrects us when we need improvement, refinement and rebuke. He knows when we need to put away anger, jealousy, wrath, slander and clamor. He shows us what areas we need to mature in. Love is patient and kind, not jealous or envious or boastful or proud or haughty or selfish or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not touchy or resentful. Do we bear all things, believe all things, hope all things and endure all things. Are we unfailing in our Christ filled agape at all times, in all situations and with all people? Allow the Lord to correct you and do not resent the chastening hand of God. (Heb 12:10)
3. DIRECTOR - David wrote, "He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake." (Psa 23:2-5) The Lord knows the best thoughts, ideas, attitudes, and actions we need to take in order to complete the best of the will of God. A good director knows the best ways to get the best of each actor. Sometimes the director will be much more authoritative in some instances and allow for more freedom of expression at other times. Realize that the Lord is the best one to direct people instead of trying to take that responsibility on your own shoulders.
4. PLANNER - God told Jeremiah, "I know the plans that I have for you. Plans for welfare and not for evil to give you a future and a hope." (Jer 29:11) Realize that the Lord has a script that we are to follow. Jesus said the best way to discover His will is by expressing your complete willingness to do whatever He asks of you. Jesus said, "If anyone is willing to do my will He will know of the teaching. Whether it is of God or if I speak for myself." (John 7:17) Show God that you are willing to do whatever He asks and He will direct your paths. (Prov. 3:5,6)
5. DELIVERER - Whatever difficulty, challenge or circumstance you may find yourself in, realize that He is able to deliver you. David wrote, "Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will deliver you and you will honor me." (Psa 50:17) Let the Lord deliver you instead of relying on yourself, your friends or your own resources to deliver you from every hardship.
6. RESTORER - Praise God that He will restore your soul. (Psa 23:1,2) David wrote, "The Lord is my Shepherd I will not be in want of any good thing. He restores my soul." The Lord restores us physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually as we praise Him for His marvelous attributes. Do not try to restore your own spiritual or emotional batteries without calling upon the Lord for help. He promises, ’Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will run and not be weary and walk and not faint." (Isa 40:31)
7. CHALLENGER - One day Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee and saw Simon and Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were mere human fishermen. He issued His first challenge but accompanied it with a empowering challenge, "Come, follow me and I will make you fishers of men." At once they left their nets and followed him." (Matt 4:18-20) Let the Lord challenge people through His word and His Spirit’s working. Do not feel that you have to challenge people with your own strength, cunning and efforts. The Lord is sufficient to challenge people to go on to influence the lives of thousands for the sake of His expanding kingdom and righteousness. (Matt 6:33)
8. CONNECTOR - We can praise God that He connects us with godly people who can help compliment our areas of weakness, deficiency or inadequacy. Paul wrote, "Make my joy complete, by being of the same mind. Maintaining the same love, united in Spirit. Intent on one purpose." (Phil. 2:2,3) Thank God that the hand should not say to the foot, I have no need of you. But that the more humble people in the body of Christ have been given vital roles to play in order to see the whole completion of God’s overall plan, not just the one He wants to work through us as individuals. Solomon warned isolationistic people when he wrote, " An unfriendly man pursues selfish ends; he defies all sound judgment. A fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinions." (Prov. 18:1,2) Allow the Lord to connect you with the people who will help complete God’s overall plan with and through you.
9. RESISTOR - Praise God that He helps us resist temptation, wrong tendencies and taking hurts too personally. Jesus taught us to pray, "Watch and pray that you do not enter into temptation. The Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak." (Matt 26:41) We need help from God to resist all forms of evil, wrong thinking or poor choices that mitigate against God’s best.
10. ENLIGHTENER - Praise God that He gives you the discernment, wisdom and intelligent ideas to accomplish His purposes. Paul taught us to pray, "I pray that the eyes of your heart my be enlightened so that you may know what is the hope of your calling, what is the riches of your inheritance and what is the exceedingly great power for us who believe." (Eph. 1:17,18) Ask the Lord to give you greater enlightenment so that you can be a channel of His Spirit’s wisdom, empowerment and enabling grace for the benefit of others
