Stop Forcing What God Isn't Breathing On

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You've heard me say it before. Let me say it again, slower this time. Some of you are not tired because life is hard. You're tired because you're carrying something God never assigned to you. Matthew 11, 28 says, Come unto me, my yoke is easy and my burden is light. So if what you're carrying feels constantly heavy, constantly draining, constantly confusing, we have to ask a real question. Did God actually give you that? Or did you pick it up? That's what we're going to talk about. Let's go, boys.

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Are you ready to go?

The Danger

Real Life

Striving vs. Surrender

Why We Keep Forcing It

Hard Truth

Personal Reflection

What to do Next

Closng

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Welcome to Renewed Mindsets. I'm Rick, and I'm so glad you're here. And we're going to continue. The question we need to ask, did God actually give you that, or did you pick it up? That's what we need to talk about. Because when God gives an assignment, he also gives grace for it. 2 Corinthians 12 9 says, My grace is sufficient for you. My power is made perfect in weakness. So if there's no grace, no sustaining power, no peace, you might be operating outside of his will while you're still asking for his blessing. So Psalm 127. Now that word vain means empty, worthless, producing nothing that lasts. And that's what happens when God isn't in it. Haggai 1.6, you have planted much but harvest little. You earn wages only to put them in a purse with holes in it. You're busy, but you're not fruitful. You're active, but you're not effective. You're moving, but you're not progressing forward. John 15 5 says, Apart from me, you can do nothing. Nothing. Not a little, not less effectively, but nothing of eternal value. And here's the problem. We live in a culture that rewards the hustle, the effort, the visibility, but heaven rewards obedience. You can build something impressive without God, but you can't build something eternal without Him. Let's bring scriptures into your real situations. Let's bring it into your relationships. Amos 3.3 says, can two walk together unless they are agreed? You're trying to force agreement where there is none. You're trying to build unity where there's no shared direction. 2 Corinthians 6.14 says, do not be unequally yoked. Now that's just about, that's just about, that's not just about marriage. It's about alignment. You're trying to yoke yourself to someone who's pulling in a completely spiritual direction that's different than yours. And then you wonder why it feels like tension all the time. That tension is not a test. Sometimes it's a warning. Another real life situation: ministry. 1 Samuel 15, 22. Obedience is better than sacrifice. Man, I know this one. You can be doing good things and still be outside of God's will. David refused to wear Saul's armor in 1 Samuel 17. Why? Because it wasn't what God gave him. Some of you are trying to operate in somebody else's calling, someone else's method, someone else's lane. And there's no anointing on imitation. And what about your opportunities? Revelation 3.7 says, what he opens, no one can shut. And what he shuts, no one can open. If you have to manipulate it or chase it or force your way into it, you need to question if God opened that door. Proverbs 3, 5 and 6 says, Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and he will make your path straight. Not forced, not complicated, not constantly blocked. Luke 10, 38 and 42, we're talking about Mary and Martha. Martha is busy. She's serving, she's working, she's doing all the right things, but she's anxious. She's frustrated. She's overwhelmed. Mary is sitting at Jesus' feet. Jesus says, Martha, Martha, why are you so worried and upset about so many things? But few things are needed here. Really, only one. Striving looks like Martha. Surrender looks like Mary. Isaiah 30, 15 says, In repentance and rest is your salvation. In quietness and trust is your strength. But then it says, But you would have none of it. That's us. We choose striving and then wonder why we're exhausted. Galatians 5 16, walk by the spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. Striving is flesh driven. Surrender is spirit led. So why do we keep forcing it? Let's expose it with scripture. Fear of loss. John 12, 25. Anyone who loves their life will lose it. Well, anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. We hold on. And while we're doing that, we lose what God actually has for us. Well, fear of starting over. Isaiah 43, 18 and 19, forget the former things. See, I am doing a new thing. But we're stuck trying to revive the old things that God already moved past. And idolatry, Exodus 23, you should have no other gods before me. An idol isn't just a statue, it's anything you prioritize above the obedience of God. When you say, I know what God is showing me, but I'm not letting this go, that thing has become your God. If he didn't order it, why are you trying to walk in it? James 1.17, every good and perfect gift is from above. If it's bringing confusion and anxiety and constant instability, that's not from him. Because 1 Corinthians 14, 33 says God is not the author of confusion, but of peace. Well, let's go deeper. Jonah tried to run from God's assignment. He ended up in a storm. Some of you are in storms right now. Not because the enemy attacked you, but because you stepped outside of what God told you to do. And God, in his mercy, is using the storm to redirect you. Now listen, I've had moments where I knew. I knew God wasn't in it. There was no peace, no confirmation, no clarity. But I stayed. Because I didn't want to lose it. I didn't want to be wrong. I didn't want to start over. And the longer I stayed, the heavier it got. Until I realized something. Matthew 6 33, seek first the kingdom, and all these things will be added. I had it backwards. I was seeking the thing and asking God to join me in it. Instead of seeking God and trusting Him to lead me. And when I finally let go, God didn't just remove something, He restored clarity and peace and direction. Now Psalm 139, 23, and 24 says, Search me, God, and know my heart. Test me and know my anxious thoughts. Start there. Let God expose what you've been forcing. Then let the peace of Christ rule your hearts. That's Colossians 3 15. If peace isn't ruling, something else is. And whatever is ruling is what you're following. Then comes the hard part. Matthew 16, uh, verse 24. Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross. Letting go is part of discipleship. Releasing what God didn't give you is obedience. Ecclesiastes 3 14 says, I know that everything God does will endure forever. If God is in it, it will last. If he's not, no amount of effort is going to sustain it. So today, stop forcing, stop striving, stop trying to breathe life into something God never touched. Instead, position yourself where his spirit is moving. Because when God breathes on something, you don't have to force it to live. Just like in Ezekiel 37, when God breathed on the dry bones, they lived. And that's what God brings to life. No man can kill.com to stay connected and to listen to past episodes. And check out our merch at renewedmindsets.store. Jesus is coming soon. Stay watchful. Stay holy. Stay renewed. Until next week, I'm Rick. Be an encourager, not a discourager. I love you. See ya. The intro and outro music for the Renewed Mindsets podcast is Are You Ready by Floodgate. From the album Are You Ready? Copyright 2002, Offbeat Ministries Incorporated. Floodgate can be found on Apple Music and iTunes. Music used with permission.