Sunday, July 31, 2011

Who’s the boss?

“You should continue on as you were when God called you.” 1 Corinthians 7:20

You started out doing something you thought you loved. The first few years of your new career were good and you actually found joy in getting up and going to work every day. You didn’t even consider it a job; it was more of a passion, a love. It is now several years later and that passion you thought was so great has now become not so great. It has actually become a job! You have even begun sensing God calling you to do something different, but you are paralyzed with fear of failure and making no money. (Satan knows all the tricks.)

Growing up my dad always encouraged me and my sisters to do what we loved. I believe his saying was, “If you do what you love you will never work a day in your life, but if you do something you don’t love it will become a job.”

Unfortunately for me I failed to follow the first part of that advice and began doing something I thought was what everybody wanted me to do.  I thought if I could just have a job when I graduated that made money I would make everyone proud.  So I set out and did just that, I did something I didn’t love and every day I woke up I went to a job. Oh, I tried for seven years to make the best of what I chose. I really did but as each year went by I became more and more miserable and felt trapped. I thought this was the only job I could do and make money. Like that was so important.

I failed to look at it from the Lord’s perspective. I looked at it through my own eyes instead of His. I tried to honor, serve, and speak out for Him but with only a part of my heart. This became more displeasing to Him than pleasing. Because I refused to accept the situation I was in at that time, I missed out on a lot of great opportunities and blessings right where I was. I failed to obey 1 Corinthians 7:17 “You must accept whatever situation the Lord has put you in, and continue on as you were when God first called you.”

God wants us to be happy, successful, and to enjoy doing what we do as long as we do it for Him! Oh my goodness I prayed my guts out day after day, year after year. I believed and knew that the Lord could, and would, do great and mighty things. I never stopped believing that He would provide and take care of my family when I stopped teaching,stepped out in faith and quit my job to pursue Him and become a stay at home mom.

It is now 5 years later and He has been doing exactly what He promised He would. He has been providing and taking care of us in ways that we never imagined possible. Over these last 5 years I have been growing spiritually, I have been being purified, cleansed, and have learned to endure many different trials, all so He can raise me up to be better for Him. The Lord has begun opening up doors for me to start doing what I am insanely, crazy in love doing and that is serving Him, meditating on His word and sharing His name with others. But it was all in His timing and it was so I could learn patience, understanding, and what it really means to let God be in control. I have been learning to do what I can and let God do all I cannot.

Understand I am not recommending that you up and quit your job if you are unhappy, but I do recommend that you cling tightly to 1 Corinthians 7:17 and 7:20 and wait upon the Lord. Use this time to seek His purpose and fulfill His will for you in this season of life. Spend as much time in His Word as you can, put every bit of your faith in Him, pray, and listen to Him. Do all you can and let Him do what you cannot.

It is so hard to see past what you are living right now, but when you look at it through the Father’s eyes, you will be filled with peace, confidence, and reassurance that He will do ALL that He says He will. Today let’s live out what we know by realizing who we work for-Jesus, not man!

Jesus You laid out my entire life before I was even created, in that I hope to live out my purpose for You the absolute best I can. Whether given a special task or not I am to serve, love and obey You and that is a role I humbly and happily take on. Amen