It seems to me, that there are two main problems inherent in a person trying to follow God today. One is that you may be afraid to start a project, and the other is that you may be afraid to stop.
I’ll address the first, well, first. As soon as you strongly consider following God in any meaningful venture you will encounter obstacles. This is common wisdom, and often true (though the opposite, equally true is that God provides in amazing ways when He wants something done), but we sometimes see this as an impossible situation – or rather, for what I’m talking about here, you see it as impossible for *you*.
You are a housewife. You are relatively content with life, go to church regularly, and have a family you love with your needs essentially met. One Sunday a presentation about the people of Cambodia is given by a visiting missionary and you feel…unsettled. A possible pulling from God.
Obviously, you give slightly over the requisite amount in the love offering plate that day, and go home with that being the end of it.
Except it isn’t. A day or so later you’re reading your Bible like a good Christian and you unfortunately run across that extremely missional passage – well, one of them – that has always sort of spoken to you only this time you are overwhelmed with a fire in your very soul, to the point where you have to grab the table and remind yourself that you are *not* before the Throne of God, but in your own kitchen, waiting for the kids to wake up so you can start your average day.
God had made a mistake.
You don’t say that. But you act that way. God simply cannot be calling you – you! – to be an overseas missionary. Clearly, it must be a call to *support* those already going. Obviously you got your wires crossed somewhere, confused the message – when has prophecy ever been easy to interpret? – and you have a life here. You have responsibilities. You have a mortage.
You have a *husband*, for crying out loud. Anyway, women aren’t supposed to get a call from God. Obviously if God really wanted you to do something, He would say something to your husband, not you. Or at least to both of you.
Oh. What if He did?
That night you wait nervously for your husband to come home. You go through the motions with the kids, making dinner, sending them to bed…all the while waiting for the hammer to drop. Has he heard something too? Is your life about to change?
Then you sit on the couch next to him. And you wait. He talks a bit about his day, then flicks on the TV. Nothing more. And suddenly you relax. You knew this was nothing more than your fevered imagination. God never spoke to you at all. Not that God never calls…but He would never call you. Not to that.
Impossible.
I implore you. Try.
God speaks, and many hear. But few follow. The story of the seeds sown isn’t just for “becoming a Christian” and then going on with your life (in a slightly more moral way?). You have a seed, and that seed is potential. That is all.
You have a seed. You have it, there is no question about this. If you are reading these words it’s because God gave you the ability and motivation to do so. God gave me the seed of these words to say. And I’m saying them to you, you, you reading this now so that you may be aware of the seed you are right now holding in your hand.
Perhaps you are afraid that it’s a false seed. Maybe what you think is the calling of God is actually a fool’s errand. If you follow it, try to make it grow, you may fail – and then what? Won’t the Name of God be slandered? Won’t people mock you and mock God in whose Name you tried to succeed?
If God can correct Paul, He can correct you. If you are honestly trying to serve God in all you do, then keep an open mind and heart, seek Him in all things, and His Way will be made clear to you. Yeshua promised that He stands at the door and knocks – He is calling to us! – so if anyone hears him and opens the door, He will come in. He does not hide His will from us. He wants us to serve Him in the right way. He has already prepared, as Paul said, good works (mitzvah) for us to do! So do not be afraid that you’re not doing the right thing – do! Love God, serve Him and Do! Trust that He will correct as needed.
But oh, be careful that you are open to correction. The greatest thing that seems to stand in our way is our own egos. More on this next week.