Your Own Agenda

Have you ever had your own agenda? You knew exactly what was needed, exactly what was supposed to take place. Surely there is one 'carnal' person out there who can relate to me! I often get so caught up in all I have to get done and how I am going to accomplish it, that I forget to listen to Christ. Yesterday was a good example. It was a Wednesday, and that right there should tell you that the devil is going to be extra diligent! If something is going to go wrong or happen to try to defeat your christian walk, it for sure will happen on a church day! I went to work as usual, as soon as I could get off work, I ran over to my mother's house to mow her yard. Everything was working out just as I had planned so far. I was able to get Mom's yard mowed within an hour and a half, just in time to run back to the middle school to pick up my oldest daughter from track practice. You see, our pastor was out of town preaching a revival, and the preacher that was to take his place is a real blessing to me. I have been excited all week knowing that I was going to get to hear him preach that evening! I'm on my way home, in a hurry, but happy and pleased all the same. I quickly cook dinner, and we eat. I am thankful for God's goodness, because the girls had no homework to do. We quickly get our showers and jump in the car to go to church. I'm really proud of myself for accomplishing all my goals, and now I am anxiously waiting to hear the message from the man of God! My agenda was going just as I had planned.....'I' being the key word!

Church begins as usual with prayer requests and a good altar of prayer. The songs the audience sing are a blessing. A gentleman is asked to sing, "I'd Rather Have Jesus". It was a blessing, I have to admit, and people were touched by it. The preacher got up to preach and people started testifying. "Okay, now," I'm thinking to myself, that's great that the Lord has blessed you, but let's all hush now so the preacher can preach! Again, I had my own agenda. He should have sang, "I'd Rather Have My Own Agenda, Than Jesus", that would have fit me better! I could feel that little impish spirit rising up in me.........now you spiritual folks may have no clue about that! But, I was actually feeling anxious about people getting blessed! Can't they just sit down and hush! Their testimonies were NOT on MY agenda! Back the truck up! Who am I to think I know how the service should go! There on my pew I had to ask God to forgive me and please allow me to get in on the blessing. After all, it is for Him that we assemble ourselves together, right? The preacher let people testify, and added a few precious words himself from time to time. He then asked the gentleman to come again and sing that song one more time, he felt as though that was the will of God, he didn't feel the liberty to preach, although he was prepared to. With a much more humble heart and my agenda thrown away, I truly did enjoy that song the second time.........I would rather have Jesus than anything! Once I was willing to give up my own agenda, I was able to receive the blessings that God had intended me to receive in the first place! He was gracious enough to even let me get a testimony in!

My mind thought of Jonah........boy, he had his own agenda, didn't he? Where did that land him? Well.......right smack in the pit of a whale's belly, that's where! After he decided to listen to God and go preach to Ninevah, the people repented of their sins. God still used Jonah to get His work done. But, Jonah still had issues, didn't he? He saw God bless Ninevah...and through his preaching...but he was still angry about it, he just wanted to die. Nothing would make him happy, not for long anyway, even that gourd withered and died, and that just gave Jonah something else to complain about.

God help me! God help me to throw out my agenda and trust in His...whether it be something as small as a church service or as big as an important decision in my life! He is in control...all of the time, He sees the future, He holds us in the palm of His hand! No where in that sentence is the need for the word 'I'. Who am I that I think my agenda is the right one? I am so thankful that I didn't give in to my stubborn thoughts, that I didn't let the devil rob me of a blessing....I gave in to the will of my Saviour, and by doing so I was blessed and was able to leave church refreshed! I don't want to be like Jonah, grumpy and displeased, and yet the work of the Lord right in front of me! Lord, here am I.....my agenda... is to follow You!