God expects us to use the natural talents and abilities that He has given to each one of us. Yet, too often we ask Him to do the things that we can easily accomplish on our own. He’ll never waste His grace to help us do what we can do alone. No, He is waiting to help us do what we know we can’t do!

You don’t need faith for what you can do. You only need it when your natural abilities can’t meet the challenge of your circumstances. That’s why God will many times lead you into a state where you are needy, a place where you know you can’t possibly fix it yourself.

He told the Apostle Paul, “My grace (my ability) is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect (complete) in weakness”.

Weakness, vulnerability, helplessness and circumstances beyond our control are the places we all fight to avoid. But in those places where we have done all we can do and have nothing left in us to solve our problems, meet our needs or get the answers to our dilemmas—these are the places where God intervenes on our behalf.

Why is it so difficult to just let go and let God? Could it be that we really don’t trust God to do what we can’t do? Or to say it another way, do we trust ourselves more than we trust God?

If that’s true, that would make us a “god” to ourselves and that is called idolatry!

Could it just be that we don’t truly know who our God is? It’s hard to completely trust someone with your entire life if you don’t know who they are and what they can do.

You see, faith is totally trusting in the one you believe. We say we have faith and that we believe in God, but we still insist on staying in control over our own lives.

Many Christians live their life in deception, thinking they truly trust God when in reality they don’t. Here are a few warning signs that reveal your lack of faith in the one and only true God:

1. You can’t forgive those who have hurt you because you don’t trust that God will be just in dealing with them.

2. You stop worshiping God through giving tithes and offerings because you really don’t trust Him to meet your financial needs. Remember… actions speak louder than words. Or as the bible says, “faith without works is dead”

3. You won’t serve God if it’s outside your comfort zone. You choose comfort over servanthood. Advancing God’s kingdom is no longer a priority.

4. Prayer is a last resort because you’ve gotten used to meeting your own needs with our own efforts. It takes faith in a living, all-powerful God to pray. Praying for your daily needs proves your reliance on God as your source. Not praying proves that you trust in yourself.

5. You no longer desire to lead people to a saving knowledge of Jesus. You’ve become self-focused instead of caring about the lost souls around you.

6. You’ve lost your hunger for more of God and now your passion is directed toward other things.

There are no elevators in the kingdom of God— only steps. The “process” is necessary to bring progress.  If you are asking God to do things on your behalf, but you haven’t done all that you can do first, you have held Him back. You’ve delayed the “process”.

Ask the Lord right now if there is anything more you can do in your circumstances. Should you plant more seeds of love, reach out to more people or extend extra mercy to those who have hurt you? Should you give more of your time, talent and resources to advance God’s kingdom?

God desires to show off Himself on your behalf! So, take an honest look at your life and start doing what He equipped you for. God always did great things for people who were busy, not lazy. All of heaven is waiting for you!…