Sovereignty and Strategy

I am currently reading a book. It’s titled Joni. It’s by Joni Eareckson and it’s Joni: The Unforgettable Story of a Young Woman's Struggle Against Quadriplegia and Depression. It’s an outstanding book. The author does a very good job in being transparent in her struggle with faith and the battle of realizing that she’ll never gain mobility again.

But there are a few moments in the book where she goes into this dark depression because she has an outcome that she thinks is going to take place. She thinks God is going to do something, such as have her walk again. And then she realizes she won’t walk again. She then thinks God will allow her to use her hands and quickly realizes that’s not the case.

But then she has an experience in which she realizes that while she was asking God that “His will be done,” she was actually imposing what God’s will should be.

Oftentimes we do this: we say, "God, allow Your will be done," but make sure that Your will is this. We aren't really submitting; we want Him to bend to what we believe is best for us. But we have a responsibility. As James 2:18 says, “Show me your faith without works, and I will show you faith by my works.”

Is there a battle between Sovereignty and strategy?

This Wednesday, we dive deeper into the discipline of submission and show you how you can maintain faith while keeping personal responsibility in your growth.