What’s God Asking That You’re Avoiding?
We ended our discussion last Wednesday night at church with this question, which is still on my mind this morning, probably because it relates to another book I just finished, The Best Yes by Lysa TerKeurst.
“What divinely given responsibilities are you neglecting because you’re too busy controlling responsibilities God hasn’t called you to?”
When we focus on what God hasn’t given us to focus on – we not only exhaust ourselves carrying burdens and tasks we weren’t intended to carry – we MISS doing and living out what God actually has called us to do! (And then we wonder why we feel so empty or without purpose.)
I’m sharing this with myself as much as I’m sharing this with you – you may know exactly what He’s asking you to do – and it’s HARD. It’s not something easy. It may feel like it will take YEARS to accomplish. And you avoid it like you avoid cleaning the toilet (because seriously, there is nothing exciting about scrubbing pee stains off porcelain. And all the mamas of boys, from toddler to teen, say “Amen!”)
You see so many other things around you and in front of you that you can do, and you can do well! And yet – God’s not calling you to those things. He’s called you to THIS. He’s called you to this role, this purpose, this job, this mission, this task, this project… that you don’t feel equipped for, you don’t feel smart enough for, you don’t see any support for, you might not even feel the INTEREST or ENTHUSIASM for this thing because the fear and the uncertainty you’re feeling is ten times greater – but as hard as you try, you just can’t follow Taylor Swift’s advice and “shake it off.” (Which, by the way, is a very catchy tune. That some of you probably now have in your head. You’re welcome.)
You can’t shake it off or let it go because you know it’s not your idea. It’s God’s idea for you. And God doesn’t make mistakes. He doesn’t pick out people by accident. His timing is never wrong.
Sure, people have tried to run from God’s plans for their lives. Jonah tried. He had the lovely experience of sitting in the rotting smelly hot noxious gut of a whale for a few days.
Moses tried. He whined and complained so much about being forced to speak that God said yes to his request to bring his brother Aaron along (the same guy who later gave in to the people’s demands to make an idol out of all their gold jewelry. He might have communicated better than Moses but he certainly wasn’t any smarter).
The Israelites tried taking matters into their own hands once or twice (or hundreds). They too experienced things you don’t put under a list of your greatest accomplishments – like wandering in a desert for 40 years or seeing your cities and nation completely disassembled and destroyed because of your severe disobedience.
No, you may not wake up tomorrow and see your house torn down as you’re hauled off to Babylon with the rest of your family – but you may miss out on some pretty incredible opportunities for blessing and for growth. Because here’s a secret: we don’t grow in our understanding of God when life’s a breeze. We grow when life throws in a few groans along the way. We stretch when we let God stretch us. We become more like Him when we let go of more of ourselves.
So what are you avoiding? What are you trying to convince yourself and God too that you’re not capable of doing? And if you’re not, why does God keep putting it on your heart to do?
The hard truth for a lot of us to accept is that it’s not about whether YOU can do it. It’s about what God will do THROUGH you. And quite frankly – if it’s not you, He’ll use someone else because God’s plans and purpose always prevail.
God doesn’t ask for people who are perfect. He asks for people who are available. He asks for people who are willing.
Need help getting started? Here are three things to think about as you move from avoiding to accepting what God’s put on your heart to do.
1. Start with one thing
Sometimes we stop before we even start because we see ALL of the things we have to do to accomplish our goal – and it is AlL overwhelming. So start with one thing. Maybe it’s making a phone call to someone who can give you some godly wisdom. Maybe it’s making one decision – a date for when you’ll accomplish what you’re working on, or an email inviting others to come join you and hear the idea God’s put on your heart. Maybe it’s finally going to the store and getting the material to make whatever it is you need to make – and no, not for a mass-produced assembly line of goods – but a few items that you’ll get started with.
Start with one thing.
2. Realize it’s not about you
When we accept Christ, it’s no longer about US. It’s about HIM. And He’s out to change the world. In our SS class we teach at church, this past Sunday my husband gave a great illustration of what Paul was trying to teach the church in Phillipi about having joy in the midst of struggle. You can have joy when you’re following JOY – in this case, a simple little formula. First Jesus, followed by Others and then Yourself. (That spells J-O-Y for us acronym-challenged peeps.)
Christ is our priority, and serving others should be our next priority. This is biblical – in Mark 12:29-31, Jesus says the greatest commandment is to love God with everything you have, and the second greatest is to love your neighbor as yourself. Not yourself and then your neighbor.
When you say no to what God’s asking you to do, you may also be saying no to making a difference in someone else’s life.
3. Declare your great Dependence
Notice I didn’t say independence. When you’re following God’s lead, there is no place you want to be except clinging and depending on Him. This is what obedience looks like. This is what trust looks like. This is what faith looks like. Acknowledging you cannot do what you’ve been asked to do on your own. And that’s ok – that’s exactly what God wants to hear, because that means all of the credit doesn’t go to your intelligence, or your great talent, but on HIS mercy and HIS grace and HIS amazing, miraculous ways.
So declare your dependence on God – and honor Him through your obedience.
Then watch for His provision.
What do you think? Is obeying God hard? What makes it so hard to do – when was the last time you obeyed God, even when you weren’t too sure, or not too thrilled about doing so?
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