Are you a planner or a doer? I guess a better question is, do you wait to do something until you feel fully prepared, thoroughly educated, and ready to face any obstacle that may arise? Or do you jump into new opportunities with gusto, excitement, and wild abandon? When following God’s direction for your life, do you wait until you feel qualified? Or do you trust that if you follow He will lead?
I’m afraid I tend to spend too much time planning rather than doing. Planning is an important step when taking on a new project or working toward achieving a goal. However, when I dwell too long in the planning phase, I am relying on my own strength rather than trusting God to carry me through and equip me with the tools I need when I need them.
In my daily life, one area I struggle with is hosting gatherings in my home. I want to be hospitable and show love to others by inviting them to gather around my table. Yet, I tend to think I can’t invite someone over until my house is spotless, I have planned an amazing meal that provides for any possible food allergies and aversions, and have replaced my hodge-podge of water glasses with a new, perfectly matched set. And while I’m at it, we should probably replace our tired old couch and paint the living room first! Oh my!
Perfection is Not Required
Do I expect perfection when friends invite me into their homes? (Remember the good old pre-pandemic days of inviting people into your home? Sadly, we’re not back there yet here in California.) No, I did not expect perfection, and yet, when I entered a friend’s home, everything seemed perfect to me because I was warmly welcomed and able to relish my friend’s company.
Francis Chan, in his book, The Forgotten God, points out a similar mistaken mindset when it comes to following God and living out His will for our lives. I know I am too often guilty of thinking that I will wholeheartedly follow God’s direction for my life at some future date. Somehow, I believe that first I must achieve some sort of spiritual pinnacle. I mistakenly think that first I need to log more time in prayer and Bible study, memorize more Scripture verses, be more patient with my family, and show more grace.
Following God Right Where We Are Now
However, God doesn’t call us to follow Him when we have cleaned ourselves up or proven ourselves holy. He calls us to follow Him now. In this very moment. Right where we’re at. Yet, what does it mean to follow God wholeheartedly right where we are? I believe it means we don’t have to study and prepare ourselves to be wise, spiritual gurus in order to serve and obey God. (As if I could ever prepare myself for that!) Instead, we need to be open to those tugs on our heart that come up right where we are. Some examples may be:
- Remaining steadfastly on our knees in prayer for a loved one, even if years of prayer have seemingly gone unheard.
- Approaching someone with a friendly word or sharing about God even when we fear we will be rejected or look foolish.
- Stepping up to facilitate a Bible study even though we feel we don’t know all the correct terminology or haven’t displayed a perfect Christian walk.
- Extending forgiveness to someone even if they don’t deserve it. Even if we don’t feel forgiveness in our hearts.
Obedience and Trust
As someone who likes to plan and prepare, I appreciate Francis Chan’s reminder that following God doesn’t mean I have my own agenda perfectly in place. It means stepping out in obedience and trusting God to take care of the rest.
Dear Heavenly Father, I am so thankful that you use me even when I don’t have everything all together with the perfect words or the perfect plan. Thank you for the reminder that following you means that YOU are glorified. And the best way to glorify you is to be willing to let you use me in circumstances I could never prepare for on my own. Amen.
Wise counsel daughter! ❤️
Thank you, Daddy! ❤️