Oct 1, 2014
Are You Inside The Tank?
by Daniel Lovelace
Metro Atlanta SDB Church
Think about something that God is desiring, or might desire you to do which you wouldn’t want to follow through on. What would be a reason you wouldn’t want to do it?
A lot of times, a big reason that I don’t want to follow through on obeying God’s prompting is that I’m concerned with what other people will feel, think, or do. “What if I say this, and then they think this, and…?” “What if I’m wrong, and then the person gets angry and…?” I think we all are hit by these kinds of thoughts from time to time. Intimidation of others is a huge reason why we might choose not to follow God in something.
Let me ask you something. Would you be uncomfortable if someone was throwing a rock at you? What if they threw it at you while you were inside a missile-proof armored military tank? Would it bother you then? Of course not. Inside the tank you’d realize how protected you were from the rock!
Many times we are bothered by what people “throw” at us because we don’t realize how good, loving, and powerful God is towards us. We fear what they might think or do, and meanwhile neglect who God is, and what He thinks or can do. When we’re intimidated by others, they’re calling the shots in our lives, not God.
The key to resolving this isn’t found by telling yourself to “try and do better next time.” That usually only ends with the same results, or with you gritting your teeth as you pretend that it doesn’t matter as the flying “rocks” are pelting you. The key is found in seeing the “tank” of God’s goodness and power, and understanding His boundless love for you, poured out through Jesus. Then, understanding how real and amazing this “tank” is, you rest inside it by faith. When the rocks are thrown, they
don’t hit you anymore because they don’t change thereassuring “tank” of God’s goodness and love towards you. When you see and understand God clearly as you should, you won’t fear the reactions of others, because you’re in the Creator of the universe’s hands, doing what He desires you to do, and no one’s reaction is ever going to change how secure and safe you are in Him.
Honestly though, the rocks that fly may hit the outside of the tank, and hard. Like scratching off the tank’s exterior paint, they may even manage to “scrape off” some of the stuff you were used to, like a possession, a comfort, a friend, or a reputation. That might hurt a lot. We grow to like the personalized paint jobs on our tanks! But do you trust that God is going to protect the things that need protection, and reshape those things that need to be reshaped in your life? That’s where you’ve gotta continue to look at the Truth of how good and wise God really is, and trust and follow His way of doing things above your own.
