One time, my ex and I were butting heads over some custody issues. We had reached an impasse and neither of us was willing to budge. In my mind, issues regarding the well-being of the kids were non-negotiable. I tried everything I could think of to break the logjam. Nothing worked. After several weeks of wrangling, I remember sitting in my car and throwing my hands up in the air and yelling at God, “I have done everything I can think of. I have no clue what to do next. Help me!” And help He did. The very next day, my ex called me and agreed to cooperate with me. Given where we were the day before, I was shocked. To me, it was a miracle.

I fell into the very trap that so many fall into. When faced with a problem or dilemma, we fly into action and work and work to try and fix it. We can get so busy trying to make the problem go away, we squeeze God out of the situation. In all our hyperactivity, we block God from working. What we should do instead is back-off, acknowledge our weakness to God, and give Him some elbow room to work with us to find a solution. We don’t need to push every button and pull every lever. God knows much better than we do what is best. If only we gave Him a little room to work. Try it next time you are struggling with a problem. Invite God into the problem and step back and let Him work. You will be amazed at how much better things turn out.

For we rejoice when we are weak but you are strong. What we pray for is your improvement. – 2 Corinthians 13:9

Originally posted 2014-04-29 06:00:11.