Believe it or not, a piece of furniture can be possessed by one, if not a legion of demons. Before you question my theology, let me explain:
A few days ago, I was tasked with putting together a desk that I had bought from Amazon.com. Kris had an identical one that he had put together back in June. He warned me, no, begged me not to buy the same one. He kept muttering something about “not enough glue” and “bad instructions.” I had watched him try to put his together for a few hours, but I figured after watching him, putting together my own would not be nearly as difficult. Twas not so.
After receiving the demon-desk in the mail, I quickly opened the box and began my journey on this perilous road. The first instructions were simple, elementary even. Every piece of particle board fit exactly where it was supposed to, coming together well. Then, all hell broke loose.
To fit the pieces together, one has to twist this little black circle just so, or the screws wouldn’t fit into it. Seems easy? Guess again. If you were a millimeter off, instead of the satisfying “click” that was given at the beginning, all I heard was the misery of incorrect placement. Four agonizing hours I spent on the last two pages of instructions, while the first six pages had been accomplished in about twenty minutes. If one side worked, the other wouldn’t.
Fed up with the desk, I tried to force one of the pieces to fit. Not only did I fail in my attempt, but by pushing it I knocked four different pieces out of alignment. As I was struggling with murderous thoughts, a new, non-homicidal thought popped into my mind.
“If you have to force it, it’s wrong.”
Now, I knew I shouldn’t force it, but when one is impatient, anything goes. As I continued to try and finish assembling the atrocity that was my desk, I kept pondering this thought. How many times have I tried to force something that just wasn’t working? Whether a relationship, job, school, or other opportunity, sometimes I’ve forced something rather than trusting God to bring the right thing to pass. Don’t misquote me in saying that perseverance is wrong. Perseverance is not only right, but is a key attribute of trusting God. If we trust that God has good plans for us, and can bring us where we need to be, then we can trust that we won’t have to claw our way to get there.
I’ve seen so many girls and guys who are pining after someone, feeling so strongly that the relationship would be right, forcing their way into that person’s thoughts by sheer willpower. I’ve been that person before. There is a strong desire in each of us to be in control. We don’t want to be single, we don’t want to be hidden, we don’t want to be reliant on God.
In Philippians Paul says,
“I am sure of this: that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Christ Jesus.” -Philippians 1:6, ESV
We can trust with absolute certainty that God will kindly lead us where we need to be, revealing His goodness to us, without us striving, grasping, and clawing for what we desire. Certainly, there will be times in our life where we have to fight for something: we must persevere in our marriages, endure in times of trial, combat the lies that God won’t come through.
There is no safer place than in God’s will. If we can trust that God is faithful, kind, and good, if we can trust that He will never fail us, then we can have peace. How many times have I frustrated myself by trying to force something? How many heartaches could’ve been avoided by trusting that His plans are greater than mine?
Dear friends, learn from my mistakes: Don’t force it. If something is forced, it won’t work right. If you are in a season of waiting, of being hidden, of watching others walk into a life you’ve wanted, trust in God’s plan and timing. Trust that He’ll finish what He started in you. He is not cruel, He will not taunt you. He cares about where you are, He sees you. You aren’t hidden. He will complete the work He started in you, draw near to Him daily, lay your griefs and fears at His feet. Fight to trust Him. Ask about His plans for you. Don’t force your way and your understanding, lean on His, and for goodness sakes, don’t buy a desk off of Amazon!
“Strength of my heart, I need not fail,
Not mind to fear but to obey,
With such a Leader, who could quail?
Thou art as Thou wert yesterday.
Strength of my heart, I rest in Thee,
Fulfill Thy purposes through me.”
― Amy Carmichael
