But why? …in my most Southern accent heehee Ohhhhh you’re gonna love this. Fresh revelation on this.

It’s because we don’t base our faith or doctrine or response to situations on our EXPERIENCES! Boomshackalacka If your spirit didn’t just do a cartwheel inside of you, you’re not getting this. Listen : Faith comes by hearing and hearing the Word of God. Not by having heard and then half forgotten, then misquoting it, getting His truth bent out of context because of your pain and mishaps in life. Nooooo faith comes from His Word, NOT from our experiences.

So now that you have had this happen or that not happen, how in the world does that make you an expert all of a sudden on doctrine and faith? It doesn’t any more than it does me or anyone else. The problem with so many Christians today is they are getting their doctrine from Instagram posts that appeal to their flesh and has a verse wrapped around it right next to the pic of them in their……..I digress. Anyway, seriously, your favorite pet preacher or prophet or influencer, even if it’s me, cannot and must not replace or come before your pastor who’s primary job is to feed you the Word that will develop your faith! I and all your other fun preachers you like are only to supplement. I don’t know anyone who lives on vitamins alone but we have a ton of emaciated Christians who are pulling up to THEIR table at THEIR CHURCH faaaaarrrrrrr less than and with waaaayyy less hunger and respect for the Word taylor-made specifically for them through their pastor because they snacked on my stuff and everyone else too much!

Yep I just said that. Yes please read my blogs and books and posts and emails and watch my lives but don’t elevate what I say over what your pastor is teaching you. We are only supplements and needed and woohoo for us out there trying to help the body of Christ be stronger. But it’s on you to pull up to YOUR table at YOUR CHURCH & be teachable with YOUR PASTOR so that when he or she needs to talk to you about something you don’t like, you are smart and humble enough to have ears to hear so it will feed your faith….otherwise you will become like all these other now-Instagram famous influencers who “know more than their pastor” because they have thousands of followers who are mostly spammers and don’t even get me started on that. The point is this ——- if you don’t stay rooted and grounded and under proper (not abusive but proper) authority, you are headed for disaster. Godly Authority is there to bless you. Even the worst of spiritual authority we have ever been under has over all blessed us and I have no regrets of ever submitting to men and women of God. It’s only blessed my life. I’ve learned both what to and not to do. Take the good and don’t be so wimpy to let the bad crush you. Just leave it but don’t leave them. They are appointed by God to be the overseer of your soul.

What does this have to do with a plan b and getting off course? Everything! Once you get out from under the umbrella of safety in alignment with who God has called you to align with, all kinds of things start going off track and before long you find yourself reaching for plan b and c and d and everything is so discombobulated that you don’t know which way is up. Then pride sets in because you can’t admit anything. So then all of a sudden you think you know more about God and the Word than your spiritual leadership and then comes strife and church hurt and you get the picture.

Faith has no plan b. Just because your circumstances don’t line up with the Word doesn’t mean the Word needs to adapt to your experience. It sometimes means I don’t know what the heck is going on BUT I DO KNOW THIS. I’m going to believe His Word ANYWAY! In the worst of times, God reveals to us what we need to know to cope and deal and get on the other side.

Don’t jump ship just because it gets hard or because that looks shinier or because your flesh is weak or uncomfortable. Your every action affects so many. Stay stable and steady and faithful and humble and hungry in order to be teachable and strong and able to stay on course! Plan A is the only way that really works!!!! Yes God is God and he helps us clean up our messes. The past is the past and it is what it is but as for today and going forward, just remember in your next decision you come up to – faith has no plan B! Try living this way! It’s the only way to truly LIVE!

Happy Monday!

XO,

Adrienne

Register now with the EARLY BIRD SPECIAL for #HappyGirl21 here. It ends AUG 1 • Join my NEW Believe ANYWAY BOOK LAUNCH TEAM & Check out all the resources at AdrienneCooley.com • Follow me on Instagram @addiecooley and like my Adrienne Cooley page and join my Facebook group • I hope to stay in touch and connect! • You really can be #happyANYWAY, #loveANYWAY & #believeANYWAY no matter what life throws at you!