That Slender Cord of Willfulness

Honestly, I wonder if I will ever learn.  I have been sick for five days with a virus that must be a cousin to influenza.  I had to stay in bed most of the time and was miserable with body aches, sore throat, and coughing.  Today I'm somewhat better and what did I do?  Barely 12 hours out from being so sick I couldn't get out of bed, I began making plans to get my act together.  "I'm going to get healthier and stronger and I'm starting now!"  I made great plans for myself first thing this morning...but by noon I didn't feel well at all and threw my pretty plans out the window.  Not having submitted to the Lord,  but rather to myself and my own goals, I felt free to deviate from my own idea of what is good.

Here are quotes from Day 26 that hit me right between the eyes this evening:

You are putting forth the wrong kind of effort. You aren’t working hard to conform yourself to God’s plan, you are attempting to arrive at His outcome by another path, a path of your own making.

The Lord says, "Plan to abide. Plan to obey. Plan to abstain from influences not of Me. But don't plan how you are going to obey, or your goals for your day will take preeminence over Mine.”

~~~

How foolish can you be? After starting your new lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort? Have you experienced so much for nothing? Surely it was not in vain, was it?

 I ask you again, does God give you the Holy Spirit and work miracles among you because you obey the law? Of course not! It is because you believe the message you heard about Christ.

Galatians 3:3-5 NLT