As I am sitting here sometimes I feel overwhelmed as I know each of you do too. Sometimes we can get to a point where we wonder if God is really leading us where we think he is? Do you know for sure? Sometimes we can get impatient and want to move God out of the way and just go! Don’t do that!
We have to learn, listen then lead (The 3 L’s). Right now we are at the stage of learning and listening and working on leading where God needs us.
When God calls you, what is he teaching you at the moment? I know for one he is teaching us patience because that is something I lack. I have always been a very impatient person but have gotten better over the last few years. God has helped me grow over the last few years in patience since we have been going to our church.
I believe God led us to our church because that was what we needed at the time. I love our church and can’t imagine anywhere else even though we know we will have to change churches once we move to Charlotte next year. That will be a growing time for us as we are very comfortable but we also know that God needs us to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Sometimes even a good church can hold you back if you are too comfortable.
Don’t get me wrong I know it is well worth the calling of God. I am just pointing out that we all ask from time to time is this really worth it and I believe that God doesn’t mind that we ask as long as we don’t allow this thinking to pull us from the mission.
The mission God has called on you is very important. The moment isn’t what’s important because you will have good and bad moments but the mission is what you stay focused on, the mission that God called you to.
God will open those doors for you when he is ready. Just keep moving forward and eventually God will open the right doors so that you can move at the speed he wants you to. God needs to see that you have the faith to move and not just talk the talk but the ability to actually walk the walk.
So we come back to what’s in it for you, will this be worth it? Let me ask you a question, what if the mission from God doesn’t involve anything that looks successful on the outside, would you still go? What if it looks like a total failure?
You have to ask these kinds of questions because it’s all about where your heart is. There have been many people of God who if you looked at them you would think that they were total failures but to God they accomplished what he set out for them, His mission for their lives. They were never glamorous, didn’t live a lavish lifestyle but they were faithful in those times. They led people to Christ and led their churches.
I have to respect pastors who have spent 40 years at a church that never grew over 200 people. Can you imagine spending your life at that kind of church that stayed where they are? Before you answer, imagine how God is allowing this kind of pastor to pour into the lives of these people for all those years?
This kind of pastor may not have all of the glamor as some of the ones you are used to seeing but they have what some of the others will never have and that is the pouring into their whole church personally and one on one.
I am not saying either way is good or bad but what I am saying is wherever God calls you, take it and run. Sometimes God is going to call you differently than you may think but either way it is about following his mission and running with it.
So will it be easy? “NO” but will it be worth it? An astounding “YES”! Until you start leading where God called you, you will always experience something missing in your heart. So go out Learn, Listen & then Lead!
Be Inspired or Be Left Behind!
Chris Benton