This is a blog from XMC staff Jared O'Kelley. Check out his blog HERE
Be still! If God didn't give you peace about the next move, then he doesn't want you to leave where you are. If you got where you are despite God, then you would have a peace about moving on. If you have no direction, then stay where you are!
First, I evaluate how I felt when God pointed me to the most recent stage of my life. Usually I felt excited, empowered, anointed, and used by God. Then I evaluate what are the things that made me feel different about the most recent stage now.
If the answers are boredom, frustration with someone you don't agree with, anticipation that your life is not progressing as fast as your peers seem to be, then usually I pray and remind myself of God's timing, and ask him to help me to cope and get over it. Then I count my blessings.(Notice I speak of feeling, which fleets and fades, comes and goes. God gave us emotion to weigh in on things that matter most, but often they can create a fog that clutters our minds with trivial matters.)
If the answer is: this is stopping me from my God given dream, or this is unbiblical, or this is hindering me from growing, then ask God what’s next, and wait. (What’s funny is that we consult God asking him if something that will make us grow spiritually is the right decision, but we jump into everything else so willingly, like relationships and careers, and wonder why we get miserable.) Waiting doesn't mean being lazy; it means work really hard at the last sure thing you know beyond emotion God pointed you to.
With all that said, let me offer a balance to the equation. Remember my life motto: "There are 365 days in a year, and 1 great commission."
It means this: We put a lot of weight into asking God to micro manage decisions in our life that the bible and the holy spirit already give us clearance for. We do this sometimes so much so that we slow the progress of life.
I know God called me to art my whole life, especially music. I know that God gave me this gift to give him glory. Now, say I write a song about cars, and sell it to be used for a car commercial. I just used my God given gift to bless my life with resources I need to live and continue to give God praise. I also want to write and illustrate children’s books. Say I create one about kids dealing with bullies, or everyone pooping, and it gets really successful, did I commit a great sin? No! God gave me this gift to live my life!
If you want to do something to better your life, and its not unbiblical, then go get it! If its a game changing decision, then consult God... but if you’re lost on something and you’re miserable, and you have no spiritual lesson to learn or you're not contractually tied to it spiritually (i.e. marriage or your covenant with God) then better your self and move on.
Sometimes we expect our life to be that of a bible character or a great evangelist. But we forget that their stories are told in cliff notes. They had to live the daily grind we do too! They were lost, confused, and seeking God’s direction all the time just like we are sometimes. Imagine being told that you’re going to be king of a nation, then sent back in a field to write songs and count sheep. I’m sure there were days that dude felt lost!
There is 365 and 1 commission. If you’re faithful to share the gospel, and you’re obedient when God calls, then the other days of the year are yours to live. It’s your life! You can't get lost if you’re pioneering a trail for the one thing that is truly yours. This is especially true if you give the one thing that is yours to a God who owns all things. Do this under a life of discipline, submission, the leading of the holy spirit, and held to the light of God’s word, then take it day by day… you’ll do fine champ! I know it!
Hope this helps as you face life’s decisions and run the race!
Be blessed
-jok
First, I evaluate how I felt when God pointed me to the most recent stage of my life. Usually I felt excited, empowered, anointed, and used by God. Then I evaluate what are the things that made me feel different about the most recent stage now.
If the answers are boredom, frustration with someone you don't agree with, anticipation that your life is not progressing as fast as your peers seem to be, then usually I pray and remind myself of God's timing, and ask him to help me to cope and get over it. Then I count my blessings.(Notice I speak of feeling, which fleets and fades, comes and goes. God gave us emotion to weigh in on things that matter most, but often they can create a fog that clutters our minds with trivial matters.)
If the answer is: this is stopping me from my God given dream, or this is unbiblical, or this is hindering me from growing, then ask God what’s next, and wait. (What’s funny is that we consult God asking him if something that will make us grow spiritually is the right decision, but we jump into everything else so willingly, like relationships and careers, and wonder why we get miserable.) Waiting doesn't mean being lazy; it means work really hard at the last sure thing you know beyond emotion God pointed you to.
With all that said, let me offer a balance to the equation. Remember my life motto: "There are 365 days in a year, and 1 great commission."
It means this: We put a lot of weight into asking God to micro manage decisions in our life that the bible and the holy spirit already give us clearance for. We do this sometimes so much so that we slow the progress of life.
I know God called me to art my whole life, especially music. I know that God gave me this gift to give him glory. Now, say I write a song about cars, and sell it to be used for a car commercial. I just used my God given gift to bless my life with resources I need to live and continue to give God praise. I also want to write and illustrate children’s books. Say I create one about kids dealing with bullies, or everyone pooping, and it gets really successful, did I commit a great sin? No! God gave me this gift to live my life!
If you want to do something to better your life, and its not unbiblical, then go get it! If its a game changing decision, then consult God... but if you’re lost on something and you’re miserable, and you have no spiritual lesson to learn or you're not contractually tied to it spiritually (i.e. marriage or your covenant with God) then better your self and move on.
Sometimes we expect our life to be that of a bible character or a great evangelist. But we forget that their stories are told in cliff notes. They had to live the daily grind we do too! They were lost, confused, and seeking God’s direction all the time just like we are sometimes. Imagine being told that you’re going to be king of a nation, then sent back in a field to write songs and count sheep. I’m sure there were days that dude felt lost!
There is 365 and 1 commission. If you’re faithful to share the gospel, and you’re obedient when God calls, then the other days of the year are yours to live. It’s your life! You can't get lost if you’re pioneering a trail for the one thing that is truly yours. This is especially true if you give the one thing that is yours to a God who owns all things. Do this under a life of discipline, submission, the leading of the holy spirit, and held to the light of God’s word, then take it day by day… you’ll do fine champ! I know it!
Hope this helps as you face life’s decisions and run the race!
Be blessed
-jok
No comments:
Post a Comment