Trusting God with the people around us

Do I believe that God is sovereign? Yes.
Do I believe He is a God of purpose? Yes.
Do I believe that He has a plan when I don't see it? Yes.

Then if all these things are true. Then I have no choice but to trust God with those He has put around me. I've mentioned this before but reading the other day I found Jesus doing the same thing.

It's easier to trust God with our pastor, our Sunday school teacher, our bff, our family...but what about the people in our daily lives who are spreading rumors behind our back? Making our jobs more difficult than they have to be? Or the ones who looove drama and it affects you? The people who are crass? Do we trust God with the difficult people? Should we? Do they have a place in our life? What's the point?

The point is

1. Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray Him. (Jn 6:64)
2. Jesus replied, "Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!" He meant Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, who, though one of the Twelve, was later to betray Him. (John 6:70-71)
3. But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray Him, objected, "Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year's wages." He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as a keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it. (Jn 12:4)

This blows my mind. All rationality appears to be thrown out the window when Jesus chose His disciples. The truth is, He trusted the Father- and that was the most rational thing to do. As He chose Judas as a disciple, Jesus trusted that His Father had a plan and a purpose.

I mean let's be real. Judas probably had a reputation and even if he didn't, you spend enough time with someone, you learn who they REALLY are, as did the disciples I'm sure. So not only did Jesus choose His betrayer as a disciple and to spend the last few years of His life with, but He chose someone of whom surely others did not approve.

So Judas, the thief and future betrayer spent three-ish years around Jesus, in the presence of the Son of God.

I don't see anyone who would compare to Judas in my life. But I do see others that I don't exactly understand why they are around. There are a couple of people in Ghana who believe that I am ready to compete against them in ministry. They have made it known who they will allow and not allow me to work with. I've no doubt that they would gladly take a chance to sabotage ministry efforts. Why? It has nothing to do with me but with the experience with another white person. So why does they continue to be in my life? When I have stepped away and tried to stay out of the way, it turns out that I live near one of the person's family. Why? I don't know...yet.

I trust God's sovereignty and that He has place me where I am. I trust that He has a purpose and plan although I cannot understand it. I'll not try to remove the "Judases" in my life but instead, trust God with them.

I have seen God turn former "Judas-type people" into followers of Him. In Jesus' case, God used Judas to bring mankind to Him. Looks can be deceiving and feelings definitely are deceiving.

I encourage you, when you see a Judas (or a lesser extreme) before you, or in your life, whether at work, church, school, Wal-Mart, a restaurant or in your family...bring him or her before God and ask Him to help you trust Him with that person, even when we don't understand. This is faith.

Its crazy, isn't it?!?! I don't know other faith/religion of which their "God" comes to live among His people and give His life. But even if there was one, I am certain it would be like Jesus, who not only died but lived among and actually served those who would betray Him...We can never say that our God is not for us.