I have been going through something in my life and have been letting my circumstances control me, even though I know better. That was my correction today from God, He said I have been passive.
To get a better idea of what God was saying to me I want to jot down the synonyms of the word passive.
submissive, acquiescent, unresisting, unassertive, compliant, pliant,
obedient, docile, tractable, malleable, pliable
What God was saying to me was I was letting the enemy control me by looking at my circumstances rather than changing my circumstances by my faith in God's principles. I was being submissive, compliant to, and actually docile to the trap the enemy was preparing for me by not taking that authority given to me by my Father to change my circumstances.
I love when God corrects me because I want to live the good life He intended for me. I want to prove His will is good and perfect. I want to live in that good and perfect life He has ordained for me. But, I can't do that without His direction, His instruction that that constantly renews my mind. Thinking God's way doesn't come naturally so I have to pay attention to Him and to the Word to change my thinking to be like His.
I have to constantly be paying attention to what I am thinking by constantly looking at the Word, by constant communication with God, looking to God for correction and direction to think like Him, and to be like Him.
Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you].
The enemy knows this so of course it is his intention is to get us to focus on those ugly thoughts, those doom and gloom thoughts (of his) that are opposed to the good God has for us. His purpose is to kill, steal, and destroy that good and perfect life God wants for us, and his power is in controlling our thought life.
The Word tells us what to do when the enemy comes to us with those thoughts.
2 Corinthians 10: 5 [Inasmuch as we] refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God; and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One),
Obviously this instruction is opposed to being passive, but instead we are instructed to deny what isn't God and be responsible to determine which thoughts are which by lining our thoughts up with the Word, and then choose only those thoughts which are God's to think.
It is not up to God if we live that life He has ordained for us, it is up to us. That is why God gave us His Word, and why He corrects us like He corrected me this morning. God wants us to change our circumstances by changing our thinking to be like His, which when we change our thinking to be like His, we will change what we say and how we act to be like what He would say and how He would act. When we live by God's principles we live in His power, by His power working through us for Him, showing His creative miracles in our lives - as representing Him to those who don't know Him. God wants us who call ourselves Christian's to live like Him, to live in His power showing who He is.
For example in my circumstance - the one where the enemy is trying to steal from me, if I change the circumstances, it will be because I renewed my thinking in this circumstance to be like God's. It will be because I said what I wanted to happen, and then expected it, focused on it, instead of what I could see - like God does. Then when my circumstances changed as I followed God's way of doing I am proving God is good, and His way works for our good.
Can you imagine if God stood out in the dark and wondered what He was going to do about it, if He didn't know to command the light to be? If God wasn't sure of Himself we would be in a mess, just like the one we're in now because we're not sure of who we are in Him. We're not sure what to think or what to do because we're not paying attention to His instructions to us and as a result we live in less than He has ordained for us
If we're paying attention we wouldn't be passive like Adam and Eve were when they gave up their authority by giving into the lies of the enemy! But we're still not paying attention and we're still doing the same thing today as they did then, we're still listening to the lies of the enemy, we're still compliant to him as they were then, thus being passive and letting him control our lives.
We need to know as God's, children He has given us His name to use to take authority over the circumstances that come to steal from us. We are called as His, to be in authority over the enemy just as He declared in the beginning (Genesis 1:28). We're not called to be compliant with the enemy but we are to be in authority over him, and resistant to him.
Matthew 16:17 And these attesting signs will accompany those who believe: in My name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new languages; 18 They will pick up serpents; and [even] if they drink anything deadly, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will get well.
I would like to encourage you today as God did me this morning to do something about your circumstances. Speak to the mountains in your life, rather than let your mountains speak to you. Rather than let the enemy control you, you take control over him.
Mark 11:22 And Jesus, replying, said to them, Have faith in God [constantly]. 23 Truly I tell you, whoever says to this mountain, Be lifted up and thrown into the sea! and does not doubt at all in his heart but believes that what he says will take place, it will be done for him.
Take the time to know God to the place where you take Him seriously and actually know who you are in Him and be confident that you can be like Him (Ephesians 5:1).
Ask God to correct you and teach you how to change your circumstances to the good He intended for you. Don't be passive but instead prove His will is good and perfect!