What does it mean to be “established”? Googling the word “establish” brings up several results including (1) to set up on a firm or permanent basis; (2) to achieve permanent acceptance or recognition for; (3) to show something to be true or certain by determining the facts… Looking at those definitions, what would you say is “established” in your life? Maybe your home is established. You’ve paid the mortgage payments to the bank. You have a clear deed of title. You have lived there for years. Your cat and your dog are there. When you speak of “home”, people know where it is. Maybe your marriage is established. You had a large crowd of witnesses at your wedding. Your marriage certificate was signed and filed with the court house. When you do your taxes, you mark married in the checkbox. When you open a bank account or take out a loan, you do so jointly with a spouse. When you go home, there is someone there to meet you who also calls that place home. It’s easy to recognize someone who is established in a certain area of their life, whether that be in a home, a marriage, a sport, a business, or a career.
But when someone does achieve the status of established in a certain area of their life, have you noticed how often they try to motivate others by saying something like, “with enough determination, you can do it too!” Or, “with enough hard work, you can make your dreams come true too!” Many of us hear this worldly mantra and subconsciously determine to work hard in order to establish our own relationships, our own businesses, our own positions, our own careers, and our own social structures. A few of us achieve our goals, only to perpetuate the mantra to others. But many of us never reach our lofty goals. Why? Is the whole thing some giant Roulette game in which some of us came up short?
Biblically, we look at a guy like King David. We can quickly recognize him as a hero and as an example to follow (at least in his early life). After all, as a young shepherd he rescued sheep from the mouths of lions and bears. As a teen he took down Goliath without any armor or sword. He went on to slay tens of thousands of Israel’s enemies as a commander of Israel’s armies. He was then unjustly hunted down due to jealousy and persevered in the wilderness for several years. In the midst of all this, he rallied worthless men around him and transformed them into mighty men of valor. When David was finally anointed King of Israel, He of all people could point to all he had done as the reason for why he was King… But he didn’t. In 2nd Samuel 5:12 we read, “And David knew that the LORD had established him king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.” David recognized his Kingship as the LORD’s work, not his own. Because of this, David wanted to honor the LORD by building Him a house of cedar. And this is how the LORD responded to David just a few chapters later in 2nd Samuel 7:12-16, “When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son… And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.” It wasn’t about what David would do for God, but what God would do through David.
The bible is clear about how someone becomes established. Proverbs 16:9 says, “The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.” In other words, hard work and determination, though necessary, do not complete the recipe for success. I cannot establish anything strictly in my own effort. It is the LORD who establishes. I don’t know about you, but I have to remind myself of that daily. There was a verse I had on a yellow post-it which stuck to my monitor throughout my 20s. The verse is now captioned on a portrait in my home of a light house that is under construction. It hangs at the bottom of the steps to remind me as come down the stairs each morning. It is Psalm 127:1 and reads, “Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.” In other words, unless God is in what I am pursuing, all my time, energy, plans, and strength to make it happen will come to nothing. It is the LORD who establishes. And unless the LORD keeps what he establishes in my life, all my efforts to protect it, maintain it, and hold onto it will come up short. I’ll be grasping at the wind. It is the LORD who keeps that which He establishes.
So, what would you say is established in your life? Is your home established? Is your marriage established? Is your career established? Certainly, these earthly aspirations may or may not be a part of our lives depending on God’s individual will for us. But what about the areas you biblically know to be God’s will for all Christians? Are you established in your relationship with God? Does your daily bible reading, prayer life, and worship of God reflect that? Are you established in a local church family? Are you invested in their lives? Can others vouch for you on that? Do you have the “paperwork” to prove it? Are you established in the unique place that God made you for within Christ’s body, the church? Do you know where that is? If you asked someone, would they know where it is? If you can’t answer yes to these questions and are a relatively new Christian, take a deep breath and jump in. God has a wonderful, exciting, scary, and adventurous journey in front of you. And through it, God will reveal his plan for your life. But if you’ve been a Christian for years and aren’t established in these areas, it’s time to be honest with yourself. Is it because you have no commitment to God’s revealed will? Is it because you refuse to walk in the path God has shown you? Is it because you are to busy pursuing your own plans and have no time, energy, and strength left over for God? If so, I would encourage you with Proverbs 16:3, “Commit your work to the LORD and your plans will be established”. God isn’t hiding His will from you… He is asking us to accept it and walk in what we know to be true… His desire is that we all might be established in that which He has called us to. That we may know, like King David, that which “the LORD has established” in our lives. And that we may live out God’s plan for us both in this life and in the eternal life to come.