Position: Know Your Place

This episode invites listeners to trust God's positioning in their lives, exploring how humility and surrender can lead to growth and understanding. Through biblical insights and personal stories, we reflect on what it means to flourish in uncomfortable circumstances.

•  Trusting God's plan even when circumstances feel uncomfortable 
•  Understanding the context of Jeremiah 29:11 
•  The parable of the wedding feast and lessons on humility 
•  Importance of surrendering control and trusting the divine perspective 
•  Personal anecdotes that highlight the journey of faith 
•  The role of heroes in shaping our understanding of trust 
•  Weekly Challenge: Drop a Pin of Thanks

Chapters

• 0:00 Trusting God With Your Position
• 1:20 Episode Intro
• 2:14 Jeremiah 29:11
• 3:58 The Wedding Feast
• 6:56 God's Plans are Better
• 9:38 Finding Peace Through Surrender and Trust
• 11:07 Flashback: Saved From Heroes
• 17:05 Pause for The Cause: Weekly Challenge
• 17:23 Outro and Prayer

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Welcome to the Low Life Show, a space where we have conversations about the struggles of life, where we declare war on pride and walk humbly into renewed living with a surrendered heart. Where we take our past failures and turn them into a roadmap for you to live in peace and living the low life. Whether you're working through personal struggles or simply seeking a fresh perspective, this podcast will inspire and equip you to live low and let God lift you up. I'm your host, dl the Low Life, a reformed professional dirtbag who's here to tell you that I now live a life of peace, transformed through humility. Join me, let's get low. What's good, what's good? Welcome back to the Low Life Show. I am DL the Low Life, and today we're talking about something that'll stretch your faith trusting God with your position. Now let's be real. There are times where God has you in a place that doesn't make sense. You're like God. Why am I still in this job? Why am I waiting so long for this breakthrough? But here's the thing Living low means trusting that God's positioning is always for your good and for his glory, even when it feels uncomfortable. So if you're struggling with where you are right now and what you're doing, maybe this one will help you shed some light on that. Without further ado, let's get into it.

Speaker 1: 2:19

We're going to start with one of the most often quoted scripture, jeremiah 29 11. Typically used for your encouragement and sometimes used without knowledge of the context. So the full scripture, jeremiah 29.11 says For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord Plans for prosperity and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. It goes on to say Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me and I will listen to you and you will seek me and find me. When you search for me with all your heart, I will let myself be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile. That's where it starts. But sent you into exile. That's where it starts. But we have to know the context. A lot of times when it's quoted, it's to tell people that God wants good things for them and not their surrounding story. God said this to his people while they were in exile, basically stuck in a place they didn't want to be. They were going through it, feeling beat down and abandoned in a land that wasn't theirs. And what does God do? In response to their lamenting, he says perfect, now go ahead and make yourselves at home here. Trust me, I got you for I know the plans I have for you. You're going to bloom here.

Speaker 1: 3:37

We've also got the parable of the wedding feast, where we see that choosing the low seat at the table as opposed to the prime time seats, like the head of the table where everybody wants to be, it's probably the right choice. Parable of the Wedding Feast Luke 14. Now he began telling the parable to the invited guests and he noticed how they had been picking out the places of honor at the table, saying to them Whenever you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor For someone more distinguished than you may have been invited by him and the one who invited you. Both will come and say to you Give your place to this person and then, in disgrace, you will proceed to occupy the last place. But whenever you are invited, go and take the last place so that when the one who has invited you comes, he will say to your friend Move up higher, then you will have honor in the sight of all who are dining at the table with you, for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted. Now he also went on to say to the one who had invited him Whenever you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor wealthy neighbors, otherwise they may also invite you to a meal in return and that will be your repayment. But whenever you give a banquet, invite people who are poor, who have disabilities, who are limping and people who are blind, and you, disabilities who are limping and people who are blind, and you will be blessed, since they do not have the means to repay you for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous. Now, when one of those who were reclining at the table with him heard this, he said to him Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God.

Speaker 1: 5:20

Jesus uses this parable of the wedding feast to teach us a simple but powerful truth Humility leads to honor and pride leads to humiliation. Here's how it works when you scramble for the seat of honor, whether that's recognition, status, control, you run a major risk of being humbled. But if you choose the low seat, letting God determine your position, he will lift you up at the right time, the perfect time, his time. So ask yourself where in your life are you striving to be seen or exalted, to be recognized, to be known, to be praised? Is it at work relationships, even in your spiritual life, with God? Are you looking for Him to honor you? Is that what you're chasing after, instead of chasing after Him? Or is your focus on serving the people in a building with His name or serving Him by means of serving the people? Are you celebrating other people? Are you surrendering everything you have to Him? Whatever your ideals are, your preferences? Are you giving him the top spot? Remember, all those who exalt themselves will be humbled. It's not a maybe, it's not an if and or, but. It's an absolute, it's a guarantee, it's an inevitability, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. And God's going to do all of that. So what can we gain from these things?

Speaker 1: 6:48

Let's take a look at why God's plans are better. God's plans are better because he can see the beginning, the end and the middle all in one snapshot. He knows above and beyond time. Because he is above and beyond time, you can only see the present. He sees the big picture. He can see your entire life and how everything that you do will affect the grand scheme of things. Meanwhile, you only see what's in front of you. Sometimes he places you in tough spots to grow and it's easiest to see in hindsight. When you're going through it, you may be focused only on the circumstance, never the reason. It takes humility to not just trust God but to understand that not everything is just happening to you. You're not just being put in a bad situation because you've lived a perfect life and you just have the worst luck in the world. Sometimes it's a result of our choices. We have to be humble enough to admit that. Either way, god is sovereign. He reigns supreme.

Speaker 1: 7:52

The second thing when it comes to position and trusting is that it's dangerous. When you fight it, when you resist where God has you, you might miss exactly what he's trying to teach you. Trust me, I've been there a million times. Exactly what he's trying to teach you. Trust me, I've been there a million times. Not to say that it won't appease what you want in the minute, in the moment, but it's definitely the wrong move, even if it feels like it's the right one. Living low in your position is complete surrender Surrender of status, surrender of name, surrender of control.

Speaker 1: 8:24

Saying God, I don't understand this at all, doesn't make sense. I don't like it, but I trust you. It reminds me of a verse my grandmother gave me to hang on to when I was barely 18. The scripture was Proverbs 3, 5 through 6. It says trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding In all your ways. Acknowledge him and he will set right your path. When she gave me the scripture to memorize, it was during a time that didn't make any sense. I had just recently graduated high school. I had the privilege of teaching Bible studies with adults at my grandfather's church. This was the first time I felt God calling me, so I was excited, I was eager, I'm like yes, finally I have a purpose. So I was confused.

Speaker 1: 9:09

When I found myself having to move, under strange circumstances, to Las Vegas, I found myself questioning God, why would you call me and then have this happen? I questioned everything that God had done in my life up to that point. I questioned everything that God had done in my life up to that point, never lost faith. I just lost the desire to seek Him and began to do the opposite of what that scripture told me. It wouldn't be until the humbling journey he led me on over the last ten years that I would actually begin to practice this.

Speaker 1: 9:38

I realized that I had never trusted Him, ever in my entire life not completely, at least. I believed he was real. But to trust him in all things is to be still and know he's God. Faith isn't always logical and giving over control is hard. I survived on logic. I survived by controlling my every action and everything I could in my environment. It took me being humbled just so I could see it, to know it, to believe it, so I could begin to learn how to walk it. I did with God what I normally do with people I gave Him my trust to determine His trustworthiness To this point. That has not and I know it will not ever fail to be the right call. If he is even the tiniest bit, the God you say you know he is, trust Him completely. Don't wait for the lesson to be taught the hard way. You will thank Him for it. How do you apply that? You take a step back and you ask yourself what is God teaching me in this season? If I was you, I would look at the things that you're not all the way pleased with, the things that are most challenging, and look for the lesson there and just trust that, whatever he answers you in prayer, that that's what it is, that he's working, even if you don't see it yet, let's take a walk into my brain really quick, into my history.

Speaker 1: 11:11

Every child has a hero. It's an important position in a kid's life People to look up to, people to model themselves after, to emulate. Usually they're these big, muscle-bound guys wearing spandex and capes, maybe an S on his chest, shoots laser beams. They have powers that make them special, and they use these powers for good, like rescuing people from burning buildings and saving cats out of trees and saving the world from being blown up. Sometimes, though, they're a lot closer to home. Maybe it's a teacher or a fireman, could even be a doctor or one of our fine soldiers serving in our military. Mine was always my dad.

Speaker 1: 11:57

I heard a saying once that never made sense, and it was that heroes are dangerous because if you raise them up too high, they almost always disappoint you Almost to say having expectations isn't a good thing. Kill that hope, kill that noise. The thing about it, though if you know your hero isn't perfect, how can he disappoint you? I've been asked that. I've been asked by other people what it is about him. They would ask because, with context, they would be comparing my idea to some of the not so good things my dad did his imperfections. I've never been good at holding onto feelings or memories that weren't mine, so it didn't make any sense.

Speaker 1: 12:38

I always had a different lens. When I heard a story from him about something, I always gleaned the heart of it. I remember once he told me a story about running toward a guy with a gun and not away from him. When I asked, he didn't know what the result was going to be. He just knew Maybe it's dumb or crazy, but if he got close enough, the bullet would pass through him and he would be able to get to the guy and do what he needed to do.

Speaker 1: 13:04

When I heard that, I heard bravery, strategy, brilliance. It's not your average person. Other folks might have called it foolish, silly, stupid, crazy. I mean he had his setbacks when we were growing up as kids, as is the case with each and every one of us imperfect human beings. He was probably a little rougher on us than the average parent. He didn't extend too much grace and was pretty short on patience, and when we got it we got it. It was not always peaceful in our home. To us, though, it was kind of just another day in the ghetto. The thing about it is that I only cared about those things when I was compelled to For me. I figured if my mom stuck around then she saw what I saw too.

Speaker 1: 13:49

I was always a spiritually sensitive kid, feeling and hearing and seeing otherworldly presences all the time. This was something my dad and I always, even today, we talk about. As a kid I was like a spotter and he was a sniper. He would see me staring at an area of the house and walk over and pray it out of existence. It got to a point where he would ask me if I saw anything, even when I wasn't stuck staring. I was a different type of watchdog.

Speaker 1: 14:13

During one of the scariest moments of my life, my dad came to the rescue. I was cutting my fingernails into his and my mom's room On their bed with the radio playing music. Out of nowhere I heard this noise coming from the closet, I thought it was odd because I was the only one in the room. Nobody else was there. So I got up to check. Might sound silly, because I couldn't have been more than seven or eight at the time.

Speaker 1: 14:37

But when you're used to seeing demons in and around people, fear just isn't a thing. When it comes to human beings Noises, really it just doesn't exist. Because you're used to battling fear itself. Because you're used to battling fear itself, plus, as a kid, curiosity always outweighs everything. So I walk over to the closet, I turn the knob slowly, pull the door open. Nothing there but a plastic shopping bag. Stood there for a minute asking myself a million questions to make it make sense. Then I reached down and picked up the bag. When I did that, the largest snake I've ever seen to this day jumped toward me. I shrank back and yelled for my dad. When he got in the room, though, it was gone. My suspicions are that he began to pray the second. He heard panic in my voice.

Speaker 1: 15:28

I stopped seeing things for years after that, almost like my inner spirit begged God not to let that happen anymore. Point is major life trauma. My dad always came to save the day. I also have fond memories, like when I would record Inspector Gadget on VHS but not watch it by myself. I would wait for him to come home and watch it with me. At the time he was driving trucks so he'd be gone for a little bit. I'd get excited and eager to watch and he would be so exhausted and not want to be bothered, but he would sit with me anyways and watch. I did most of the watching. He'd fall asleep, but I would still be a happy camper. Those are just a few reasons why most of my life my dad was my hero.

Speaker 1: 16:06

So it would make sense that God would lead me in this humbling to a place where I no longer could lean on him. God brought me into a physical position located beyond my dad's reach to show me how truly helpless I am without God. He showed me that getting low in the positions that we give others in our lives is also a part of surrender. Submitting my life to my Heavenly Father above my dad was freeing. It's not to say that I lost any love for my dad. It's just I placed God in his rightful place in my life above and beyond all. That means excluding nothing. Everything is beneath him. This has led to peace, freedom, and I'll tell you what. So much less pressure for disappointment. That's one hero that I know will never disappoint me.

Speaker 1: 17:06

Time to take a pause for the cause for the weekly challenge. This week it's pretty simple Spend some time every day with God, sitting and thanking him for where he has you, even if it's not where you want to be. Then ask him to show you one thing he's teaching you in that position. Remember, living low means trusting God in the highs and the lows. Don't let pride convince you to fight the position God's placed you in. All it's doing is trying to make you miss out. Let's pray Father. We thank you for where you have us placed. We thank you for who you are, where you reside, the position you have, and we thank you for your patience in waiting and teaching us to lower ourselves, bless the listener and continue to grow them one step closer to you this week and next week. We thank you and we praise you In Jesus' name amen.

Speaker 1: 17:58

Next week we're going to get into the root, the enemy pride. How to recognize it, how to fight it, how to stay free from it. It's going to be a bloodbath. You don't want to miss this one. Until then, stay low, stay blessed and stay ready for the next episode of the Low Life Show. Thank you.