A color-coded life

I always get super excited about planning new things. I've noticed that I subconsciously see every problem as a new opportunity to plan a solution. For instance, if I realized I didn't have enough humility, I'd think "Ok, let's see here, I can fix this. If I just make this color-coded schedule for myself, at these times I'll do a humility check. That will make me more intentional about living humbly. I can also have this email reminder sent to myself, and do a nightly self-evaluation, and go to the library and look up books about humility, and talk to my best friend and see what she says about humility, and..." I'd carry on with that plan until I realized I was short on another quality. Then I'd start working on that one.

Sometimes I try to do this with my life. I like being prepared. I want to know exactly what being a follower of Christ means for me every second of each day. I try to color-code my life. I deceive myself into thinking that if I come up with a plan, I can follow Him better.

In reality, that's not what He wants me to do. Relying on my own plans shows a great lack of faith, a lack of trust in the unmeasured love and wisdom of my Father. I can't fix myself. I can't follow Him well on my own. Thinking that I can is pride. However, In Mathew 21:21, Jesus offers a much simpler solution: "if you have faith and do not doubt...if you say to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea," it will be done. And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive."

Sometimes it's hard for me to wrap my head around, but we don't have to make a color-coded spreadsheet in order to live for Christ. We just have to trust Him. And pray. He can make me more humble than millions of email reminders and library books. Simply spending time in prayer with Him is a better use of my time than making monthly lists of goals and daily random acts of kindness calendars. If He can move mountains, He can certainly change me. To follow Him, we truly just have to let Him lead us. And when we read His word, pray, and listen, He will lead us better than any carefully-prepared, color-coded, moment-by-moment plan ever could. He can turn us in to someone we can't be on our own.

"I rise before dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope in Your word." ~Psalm 119:147