Stuck in Life
There are two things that Matt and I counsel most often- broken marriages and people who are stuck in life. Today I want to talk about the second one. There has been a shift in the last twenty years or so that I have seen and felt myself. It is this idea that if I don’t step carefully, I might step out of God’s will and ruin the rest of my life. There is this idea that if God wants me to do something, He will show me. He will drop it into my life. People say, “I have faith. I know God can do that for me. If I sit around and wait and pray, God will drop this in my lap.” Now don’t get me wrong. I am a huge advocate of praying and asking God for wisdom, but there comes a time when I believe you have to take a step out in faith and do something.
How God Works
I believe God can heal cancer, but how does He usually do it? Through doctors and modern medicine. I believe God wants everybody to be saved, but how does He do that? He uses Christians, pastors, missionaries, friends and family sharing their faith. I think it takes more faith to get up and go do something than it does to sit at home and “pray about it.”I believe Satan has so many people doing nothing for God because they are waiting for something to come to them.
In my early years of listening to God, I relied heavily on my authority- my parents, pastor, and teachers. I am a huge advocate of getting advice and following the spiritual leaders God has put into your life. Yet as I have grown in my relationship and closeness to the Lord, I believe He speaks more to Matt and I personally first and then confirms it through our leadership. For example, in my freshman year of college, the college I was attending started making some doctrinal changes. I went home at Christmas and talked to my parents and pastor about it. They both decided it was time to leave there and go to another college. I did not really want to, but I followed their leadership. I obeyed and I ended up meeting Matt at the new college. I am so glad I listened! As Matt and I have grown and matured, God leads now in our hearts first. Now He leads Matt and I; then He confirms it through our leadership.
How We Stepped Out in Faith
When Matt and I left an incredible church staff to start our own church, Greater Philly Church, there were so many people that could not understand why we were doing it. We had two different pastors tell us we shouldn’t, but there were other pastors that were affirming our decision. I think even our parents were unsure. Yet God was placing a burning desire in our hearts, and we were so sure of His calling and timing that we could do nothing except answer that call, pack up our belongings, move, and start our church. Now everybody can see it, but that wasn’t the case in the beginning. Even at various times through the first few years when it was rocky, we had people try to convince us to combine with another church, resign and take another church, and other crazy things. We knew, however, that we were where God wanted us.
Praying Specifically
So often I talk to people and hear their story. I can see so clearly, even as an outsider looking in, that God is obviously working and moving this person. Yet when I tell them that I think God is trying to move them on, they say… I’m praying and waiting on God.” I always ask, “Waiting for what in particular?” Most people can not answer. That is because they are not praying specifically, so they don’t know if God is answering or not. They are waiting for a modern-day miracle. They are waiting for something to fall into their lap. It may a person who is miserable in their job, a girl who is unhappy in a dating relationship, a couple who is not fulfilled in their church, a man who believes God has something greater for him than punching the clock. So often this person has only prayed, but done nothing. They haven’t put out their resume, they haven’t written down on paper what they believe God has for them, they haven’t talked to anybody about it. I believe it is their lack of faith that is keeping them from moving forward. Matt always says, “It’s easier to move a moving car than a parked one.” Take a step of faith. Start the process and see if God does not begin to open the doors and show you what He has for you.
Stepping Out
We have dear friends that believed God was working and wanting them to move out of the ministry they were serving part-time in and come help us with our church plant. They met with us and asked us to pray. They said, “We don’t know what God is doing, but we believe He wants us to resign from this ministry and come serve at Greater Philly Church.” They went on to say that the husband had been up for so many promotions at his full-time secular job over the past year. Every time, he was supposed to be a shoe-in for the promotion; yet every time, someone with less experience and credentials would get the position. In fact, they said it had become a joke in their family and in the office where he worked. After a few weeks, they told us that God had confirmed the decision and they had chosen to leave the part-time ministry position. Three days later, the husband received a promotion! I dare say they stepped out in faith and God applauded their step of faith.
I don’t know what God is burdening your heart to do. Maybe it’s a new job, a new endeavor, ending a relationship, a move, … whatever it is. Could it be that God is waiting for you to take the first step? He is ready to move that mountain and give you your miracle, but He is waiting to see if you have enough faith to take the first step. My encouragement to you is to take a step of faith. Start the process and see if God does not begin to open the doors and show you what He has in store for you.
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