When I’m encouraged

by encouraging circumstances, I’m depending on my flesh — human-wisdom-dependency, not Jesus-dependency. Same for discouraging circumstances. How do I KNOW what’s best or worst for me, and those I love? My human-wisdom tells me.

Scripture, however, commands me to NOT lean on my own understanding, NOT be wise in my own eyes, but rather fix my eyes and thoughts on Jesus, to see what He does NEXT, in me, others, circumstances. Jesus knows what’s best or worst. My human-wisdom does NOT know, nor does the human-wisdom of others — especially experts.

Only Jesus-dependency delivers happiness — joy and peace that are NOT circumstance-dependent. Human-wisdom-dependency delivers bondage, addiction, misery, unless my circumstances momentarily go the way my human-wisdom deems best. No wonder the Church has so little influence on our society today. We Christians are way-more human-wisdom-dependent than Jesus-dependent. So we operate with human-power, not Jesus-power.

So whadda I do when I suddenly realize I’m human-wisdom-reliant — feeling the challenges of my day are UP TO ME? CONFESS my unbelief in His sovereign reign over every detail of my life. Ahhh.

— Dave McCarty, GospelFriendships

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