When Receiving God’s Best Looks Too Hard

I want to receive all God has for me; I just want it to be what I want and easy to get.

As I wrote earlier, my One word this year is Receive. I’ve come far enough on this journey of life to know I want what God wants for me.

Rejecting God’s Best

The problem is I don’t always want what He is offering in the moment.

I want what God wants for me, but I don't always want what He is offering in the moment! What to do then. Share on X

You know …

like the hard times in marriage that when finally worked through create a stronger bond.

like illness that knocks you down only to later help you realize how precious health is.

like financial chaos that eventually forces you to develop good, strong financial principles.

In the end, these are good things … things I want. But the negative-immediate masks the positive-eventual. So I often find myself rejecting His gifts.

Since you’ve found my blog, you likely struggle with the same issue.

Not the Cross!

So what do we do? We want God’s best in our lives. We want to grow and become more like Christ. But every human/logical part of us screams, “not the cross!”

If only we could see the end result, we’d move willingly (if not still a bit hesitantly) up that hill of Calvary.

We do something very similar all the time in our day-to-day choices:

We agree to the pain of having teeth pulled to straighten the ones that remain.

We make our children endure the fear and hurt of getting vaccines because we know their benefit.

We give up fun activities to save money for some special event or object.

We let a surgeon cut into us to make something right in our bodies.

We’ll willingly endure a great deal of pain and inconvenience if that positive end is likely.

So I guess that means we need someone who can see the end at the same time as the beginning, the eventual as well as the immediate. Someone who can guide us with certainty.

And there’s only one Someone who can do that: the omniscient, omnipresent Lord Almighty.

Our eyes need to be fixed on Him. Our trust needs to rest in Him.

Look to Calvary

Whenever you face a difficult next step, look to Calvary. Whenever you’re tempted to reject what He’s laid in your lap, look to Calvary. Whenever everything in you screams “I can’t do this,” look to Calvary.

Whenever you face a difficult next step or are tempted to reject what He's laid in your lap, look to Calvary. Share on X

It is on that hill, we see the end. “It is finished!” (John 19:30).

The beautiful end won for us. The process was gruesome and horrendous. But the end, oh the glorious end!

Calvary: the beautiful end won for us. The process was gruesome and horrendous, but the end ... it was glorious! Share on X

Receiving God’s Best

Some things we’re asked to do or walk through, well, they make no human sense. But faith, it’s not about having things make sense. It’s about surrendered obedience. It’s about willingly following Christ all the way to Calvary when asked.

It’s in this complete surrender we find ourselves receiving God’s best. A best promised and delivered. Partially here; fully in eternity. 

I want it! I know you do too! But to get to it, it will mean we have to walk through those things we don’t think we want first. It means we have to journey up the hill to Calvary.

And for that walk, lay it all down. All your preconceptions. All your plans. All your expectations. All your pride. Lay down your load. Then pick up only what the Lord directs.

In complete surrender we receive God's best. His best, promised and delivered—partially here; fully in eternity. Share on X

With this lighter load and His strength and guidance, you’ll make it. Once there, open your hand and your heart to be filled with that best! Oh the glory!

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go;
I will counsel you with My eye upon you.
⁹ Do not be as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding,
Whose trappings include bit and bridle to hold them in check,
Otherwise they will not come near to you.
¹⁰ Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
But he who trusts in the Lord, lovingkindness shall surround him.” Psalm 32:8-11, NASB

Reflections: What “best” are you trusting God for right now? What preconceptions, plans, expectations, pride do you need to lay down before your ready to begin your climb up that hill to Calvary?

More than 4 years of counting and I’ve surpassed 4,500 gifts in Ann Voskamp’s Joy Dare! What a blessing! Here are numbers #4,663–4,683. Read my entire list by clicking here.