Tonight on my walk I was grappling with God regarding many things in my life I seem to be ‘waiting’ on. It feels like I am always waiting for my hearts desires while I faithfully ‘follow him’. After pressing deeper in to this issue I was reminded that waiting is a part of the journey. Waiting is not a halt of action but instead an adherence to God that is coupled with great anticipation of what is to come. As we continuously bind ourselves to God and let go of all control, new vision is able to birth. The key to revival is waiting. By waiting in His presence the secret of worship is revealed, the doorway to finding our purpose and destiny.As Christians, have we ever really asked ourselves what it means to truly follow Him? When I ask people if they follow Jesus they usually reply without hesitation with an emphatic “yes”. I am sure they mean well, but are Christians really ready to “follow Him” with every morsel of their being? Jesus was constantly listening to his father, do we listen when God speaks? Do we listen when he says something that goes contrary to our desires? I can remember, vividly, a time in my life when God spoke clearly to me and said, “wait” regarding something I wanted. I waited for a week then pursued the situation. Let’s put it this way, there was a reason God told me to “wait”. But due to my impatience, I went ahead of Him and as a result suffered great pain. When God says, “wait”, wait.
I was praying recently about something dear to my heart and he gently said, “wait”. This time it was gentle, but you bet I am LISTENING! We have to remember when we are following God we have to be sensitive to His timing. When our timing aligns with God’s the outcome will always have power.
Jesus went against the grain. Do we stand up for our beliefs and values when it is not popular? Do we help others when no one is looking? Do we follow Him when we are suffering pain? Do we follow Him when we are not sure if He is good? Do we serve Him when we have to sacrifice our own desires? Do we serve others when it is uncomfortable? These are just a few of the questions we should ask before we quickly say we are ‘taking up our cross to follow Him”.
I see so many people getting on the bandwagon of the cool new movement of volunteerism. It’s great to be moved in to action, but at some point if it does not become a lifestyle it is just another fad. Following Jesus is not an option. Fads are optional and seasonal. Serving Jesus should never be out of season. It’s true there will be seasons of questioning in our lives because we are finite beings, but by realizing that truth does not then give us the “pass” when it comes to following Him.
Are we willing to keep moving toward the cross even when our vision is foggy? There will be dark times, this is Biblical. In order for us to identify with the sufferings of Christ we can’t expect to escape pain. We are called to persevere because we belong to Him and we believe Him. When we walk in those promises we will have the vision of victory in our minds and hearts.
As you can see, I am passionate about serving and do so with reckless abandon. Unfortunately, I have seen too many people get involved with something important to God, yet quickly get distracted from the purpose when it gets uncomfortable. Serving will not always be glamorous. It comes with great sacrifice and expense. Are you still willing to serve? Are you willing to follow Him wholeheartedly or has Jesus become an option?
