Cole Hatchard Most people that know me likely know my sanguine nature the best. I’m enthusiastic, a little obnoxious, and usually the center of attention. However, when the right time comes – when the stars align – my true choleric self emerges from the dark crevices of my personality and takes over completely. On any project, I can only be the boss or the goofball. I will rarely just be able to contribute an even share. Now, I don’t believe this choleric side of my personality to be a detriment. I believe it was placed within me by God as part of who I am to help others and further His kingdom on Earth. However, a big part of choleric-ism (?) is that I tend to be a little controlling. And by a little I mean a lot. Now, I’m not usually going to be a jerk about it, but I like to make sure that I have as much power over the results as I possibly can. I’ve been realizing that maybe – just maybe – this is not a super spiritually healthy or responsible way to operate within life. I’ve been reflecting on a term that I’ve heard a few times before, and it’s been impacting my attitude and expectations heavily. That term is, God Room. God Room. The room in which we leave for God to work and act. The Room that we dedicate to God’s works. The Room that we do not take up with our excessive worrying, anxiety, and frustration. God Room is something special. Not just because it involves God, but because it doesn’t involve us. There’s no room for us. It’s God Room. It’s the place that God finishes His work. One of the trickier parts of the Bible (for some) is the balance between faith and works that James writes about: “Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works,” (James 2:26). For myself, I’ve been finding that this idea of God Room is what allows for faith and forks to operate so completely in harmony. I truly believe that God has given and continues to give each of us responsibilities on this Earth. They look different across each individual, but they are there nonetheless. I believe that this is the primary place in which our works exist. We put in the effort – the blood, sweat, and tears – in order to hopefully create a positive result. We know the area in which we are meant to be working, and so we put in the effort to do so. The problem is that most of us don’t stop here. We continue to push through. We put further effort into attempting to control the result. We think that, if we put X effort in so that we can receive Y result, that we should. That things should turn out like we want them to. Or even, that they should turn out like the universe suggests that they might. But this isn’t always the case, and it’s why I believe we as a society struggle with so much anxiety. We don’t have the faith to go along with it. We don’t have faith that God will provide. Not that He will provide what we expect, but that we expect He will provide, and whatever He provides will be Good. Not fair. Good. We don’t allow for God Room. My greatest struggle is to allow for God to work in this space. I can’t seem to come to peace with the idea that God’s plan is potentially a little bit better than my plan. I fear that the results will not pan out. But this isn’t the type of living that I believe God called us to. When we leave God Room, we expect that He will provide for us what we truly need according to the purpose in which He has made us. When we leave God Room, we have confidence in our abilities to fulfill our side of the partnership. When we leave God Room, we work hard in what we know we can control (i.e. us, our attitudes, our effort) and live in faith in what we can’t control (i.e. the result). We control input into a situation; God controls output. I pray for you, and for me, that we can realize this before we lose ourselves. I pray that we may find that balance between works and faith. I pray that we may find it in the God Room.  I am a Speaker, writer, and teacher. I believe that teaching is not the end-product of learning; they come hand-in-hand.
I’m in a passionate relationship with Jesus Christ and I express that love in all enthusiasm and ridiculousness that I can. If I’m not examining the processes of the cell or pondering the movement of a charge in an electric field, you can find me studying any array of resources in search of personal growth and sharing this newfound knowledge with family, friends, and strangers (or what I like to call “future friends”).
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