3 reasons why you shouldn’t trust God.
T r u s t. It’s something we’re all told to do in our darkest hour at one point in our lives. But why is it so extremely hard sometimes to give abundantly, love our enemies, all while having no clue what comes next? But yet, we’re told to trust God to pull us through. When God has called you to do something society would reject, you have a choice. Just like Jonah and the whale, you can run from your calling just as Jonah ran from showing Jesus to the city of Nineveh, or you can trust and obey God knowing he has a magnificent, unfathomable plan for your life. Who the heck wants to live their life comfortably right?? Look at it this way, you can’t walk without watching where you’re going. You can’t speak without knowing what to say. You can’t love and have any hesitation in your relationship with Jesus, because God doesn’t work that way. Sometimes it takes a blind step of faith to accomplish the impossible.
9 months ago, I made the decision to go on a mission’s trip to the area of Kapoeta, South Sudan. So many people crucified my decision to go through with this trip. I knew it was nothing other than God calling me to this country, so I continued to fund-raise and trust him through it all. Little did I know this was just one of the steps God was asking me to take in order to fulfil the greater picture for my life. On the trip, I couldn’t even fathom or explain to people what we saw. The poverty was like no other. I looked into the most humble, precious faces I had ever meet, and all I felt was brokenness. These people would give their everything to us with what little they had, and yet I’ve struggled sometimes on giving my tithes. I held precious babies with cerebral palsy, hugged on people who had never been hugged on, played the most epic game of duck-duck goose, and yet the entire time my thoughts all resulted back to “What have these people done to deserve this?” One look into those sweet babies eyes, and I saw a lifetime. I saw the fear and brokenness. I knew without a doubt these babies had very likely seen their parents killed, some enforced into child slavery, and others forced to kill by militia groups. It was in those moments my world was completely rocked. I learned more in that week and a half than I could have ever learned. Through all this my new perspective with God changed. It was no longer praying for help, but it’s now “I know you can fulfill these people with your love, so I trust you.”
Two weeks later, back in the states, I attended a church service called The Belonging. That very morning I cried out to God begging, pleading for him to give me a word that night. Hoping he would speak through someone else to give me a word from him. That night we began praise and worship. In all honestly, I felt disappointed at that point. The service began and I started to drift off feeling exhausted. Then I heard it so clearly. “Why are you waiting on God to tell someone what your calling is for your life, when you know for a fact God has already told YOU?” I about fell out of my seat when the speaker continued with, “If you feel you’re called to go live in another country for missions, you need to go and not let fear dictate you, quit waiting for someone else to tell you that.” I immediately went up for the alter call praying and crying out to God for direction on where to go. I finally got back to my seat seeing my phone light up, just ironically with a message from the missionary in South Sudan. I had my conformation for The World Race; a 9 month missions trip to the countries of Cambodia, Lesotho, and Guatemala. It just wasn’t the way I had expected.
In the midst of the confusion of life. Shut out distractions and focus on God’s calling for your life. Just because you’re not getting an answer from God immediately, don’t become disappointed. Just because it’s not happening in your timing doesn’t mean whatever you’re praying for isn’t going to happen. God’s timing is so faithful and the unknown is where he works the most.
1. Your comfort zone will be nonexistent.
What a better way to serve Jesus than seeming to others as acting absolutely crazy for a crazy awesome Lord! If you want to go somewhere you’ve never been you have to trust the Lord with all your heart and do something you’ve never done before. Fear. The biggest barrier between people and their obedience in God’s will for their life. For me, fear has been a huge barrier in following God’s plan for my life and pursuing missions. But scripture promises I’ll never be alone, so I have nothing to fear.
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”
– Joshua 1:9
2. You’ll have to love the toughest people to deal with.
I’m a coffee addict, I’ll admit that. When I’m in a Dunkin Donuts line in the morning, most of the time frustration is always evident. People, including myself, are always rushing through life, always in a hurry to accomplish their tasks as quickly as possible because fastest is best right? God put me in my place so quickly when returning home from South Sudan. In the midst of all the everyday rush, sometimes we forget to slow down and give some of that time to God. When we’re always in a hurry, we aren’t ourselves. We may snap easily or say things we don’t really mean when we’re not seeking God every single day. Don’t let a crazy schedule and stress get in your way of showing God’s love to people, even though showing love to someone you don’t agree with may feel like you’re being stripped of all your pride. I know easier said than done. Following God’s will for your life isn’t always going to be comfortable. RUN FROM YOUR COMFORT ZONE!
Journal Entry:
“Love is such a strange thing. I was for sure I grasped the full meaning and purpose of it. But how I was so mistaken. Our second day in South Sudan, the missionary there informed us there was no word meaning “love” in the Toposa tribe language. I can’t imagine a life never knowing the love Jesus has for us. Jesus showed me no words were needed to show love to these precious people. I was frustrated and couldn’t understand this until looking back now. Love on this trip involved the biggest game of duck-duck goose, it involved telling the story of David and Goliath to 30 little pairs of eyes, it involved handing a mother a lifesaving medicine for her precious baby, it involved handing out gushers and laughing endlessly with Sudanese children at how silly both of our words sounded to each other. God showed me a love so much greater than I could have ever fathomed.”
3. People will try to discourage you.
When you’re on fire for God, I promise you there will ALWAYS be people put in your path that will, in better terms, drive you bananas and test your faith. The devil is always going to try to swipe everything out from under you at your most vulnerable moments. It’s those moments trusting God is hardest. It almost seems impossible, like there’s no possible way your situation could be overcome. People will fail you, your family and friends will hurt you, but Jesus will always uphold you. There’s nothing you can do to separate you from his love, he says so himself.
“And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.”
– Romans 8:38
When you’ve heard God, don’t ignore the call. And if you feel like that calling is too great for a person as small as you, think again. The closer you become to accepting your calling, the more strongly you’ll feel that calling. God DOES has a plan and a purpose for your life. Love the unlovable, travel outside your comfort zones, and most of all let Jesus COMPLETELY wreck your life for him.
