After ten years of following God, I've come to realize that many times His call is as elusive as the nose on my face. We oftentimes speak of God as a vapor, as One that takes some divine amusement in His elusiveness. And while God does desire us to pursue him, the matter of his Will typically comes down our desire to receive it. It's our sinful, selfish nature set against his divine love; at some carnal level we will chaff against his directives because our motivations are profoundly different (at least on this side of reality). Being able to say that we desire God's will is an admirable first step but then a Christ-follower must ask the crucial question - "Am I ready to receive what He tells me?"
And then, if we can get past our selfishness as a first obstacle to recieving God's call, fear is there waiting for us. Fear tells us that our benevolence will be rewarded with failure...or worse. Fear tells us we don't have what it takes anyways, so why bother. Recently, I've been chased by some fresh directives from God for my life that, frankly, challenge my ideals of how fearless I really am. I hear God, loud and clear, but what he wants me to do... I'm not sure if it's is fully possible and I'm not sure if I have what it takes (I'm being this transparent in the hopes that someone reading this can identify and take benefit).
And so, I return to Scripture to read the stories of other ordinary people that were asked by God to do impossibly fantastic things. Gideon, Joshua, Moses, Esther, Jeremiah, Mary...the list goes on and on. People that, when confronted by God's calling, asked Him how it was even possible. His answer has (and will) always be the same, "I'll be with you."
God makes no affirmation of our amazing speaking abilities, our wisdom, or our strength. The first chapter of 1 Corinthians, goes so far as to say that God chooses the lowly on purpose. In calling us to purposes beyond our ability, He has obligated Himself to pick up the proverbial slack. To receive God's call, I must get past my own selfishness and fear; to answer His call, I must depend on Him with absolutely totality.
This will be no stoic step, God's calling on my life. With sweat like bullets and my heart pounding out of my chest, I will take the steps God is calling me to take. I pray for the cadence of Christ's followers, that we will walk in spite of ourselves in the direction of His will.
What is the call God has on your life that you need to finally receive?
1 comment :
Jason, good stuff. Timely for me. Its amazing how fear can intimidate me...fear of what others may think is a reasonable way of ministering, providing for a family, being generous, etc.. Essentially, crossing the hurdle of the need for approval from 'man' on following God's will.-this has been my issue So many times God asks us to do things that are seemingly unreasonable. (atleast in our own eyes) May God grant His children faith and love that is so much greater than these obstacles.
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