Don’t Rush to be Rash!
June 24, 2011
The other day I was sitting in my backyard thanking God for His blessings. I looked around and smiled at the new outdoor fireplace and patio area my husband had finished building this spring. Wow, I thought this backyard is a real oasis. The week before our neighbour had told us that he was replacing the small chain link fence between our yards and building a new wooden fence. So when I spotted him in his yard digging up the old metal fence posts I asked him what he thought of the tall cedar trees on our fence line. He truthfully explained that they blocked the afternoon sunlight to his yard and he wished the previous owners before us had trimmed them. (These trees are over 25 feet tall now so trimming the tops wasn’t an option!) So out of the generosity of my heart or stupidity, I offered my husband’s services to cut down all the skinny trees and thin them out. My neighbour seemed pleased so I went skipping in the house to share my bright idea to my husband, who by the way didn’t share my enthusiasm! After some convincing he was on board with the plan as I explained we would gain the morning sun and they would gain the afternoon sun. Not wanting to wait any longer to see the transformation, I took my long handled pruning shears and starting cutting off the branches that I could reach. I was so excited to see the change that I wasn’t really considering that a) we would lose our beloved privacy and b) cedar branches don’t grow back. The following morning with a big smile on my face I assisted hubby with the tree cutting. It all seemed exciting at first, with each tree that fell our backyard was brighter. But once we finished and had a moment to stand back and survey our work we suddenly felt very exposed… like fish in a fish bowl. We were on display – the neighbour’s were on display and not a wispy cedar branch to soften the view!
Have you ever made a dumb mistake or made a rash decision? In 1 Samuel chapter 13 we read of Saul and the hasty decision he made that had great repercussions. The Israelites were in a battle with the Philistines and when they realized how greatly they were out-numbered, they trembled before Saul. Now Saul knew that they were to wait for seven days for God’s direction according to the time set by the prophet Samuel. But what happened was that the people began to scatter from Saul and so he took matters into his own hand and he gave a burnt offering to the Lord. Now Saul knew the rules, and he was not supposed to be the one giving the offering. He broke a commandment and the only excuse he could give to Samuel was that the people scattered and he felt completed to offer a burnt offering. Because of Saul’s rash decision it cost him his kingdom.
Some of the mistakes we make may not cost us a kingdom but they don’t give us a lot of peace either. Some mistakes lead to more mistakes because we want to solve the problem. Now we know that God says to give him all our anxieties and cares and James 1:5 says: “if any one of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God who gives to all liberally and without reproach it will be given to him.” The definition of reproach means ‘without blame’. Doesn’t it make you smile to think God doesn’t blame us when we ask for His help?
Sometimes the hardest thing to do is to rest in Him and wait for His answer even if it takes time, maybe more time than we would like! From my experience living the backyard drama… I have learned to wait on Him. I lost my peace many times that week spending way too much time coming up with a solution for the lack of privacy. I went from researching the perfect fast growing tree to plant in the small space to a really large privacy screen. Both ideas did not give me peace. Nagging my conscience was the words someone spoke to me “but did you pray about it”
I thought I was praying about but maybe I was doing more brain-storming on my own. Getting into the posture of waiting and expecting creates a battle in the flesh. In James verse 1:3 it says “knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.” In this process of waiting upon God our patience matures as we surrender and trust in Him.
Proverbs 23:12 says to “apply your heart to understand.” Surrender the flesh, yield to His voice, lean not on your own understanding, and allow the heart to hear from God. In Proverbs chapter 8 it personifies Wisdom as crying out and taking a stand on the top of a high hill; isn’t that cool – the answers are there if we will just sit and listen! Don’t feel defeated – If you have to repent because of the mistakes you have made – then don’t delay. God is a merciful God and by the blood of Jesus our sins are washed away. Walk in victory knowing that God holds all the answers and He desires to share it with His beloved!
FYI…we did find a solution for the fence line privacy issue, or I should say God shared His wisdom with me to buy a really large patio umbrella!
