Are You Leading, Following or Seeking?

Psalms 37:23 says, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord; and he delighteth in his way.”

How many times have you gotten on an elevator and if everyone is looking up, you’re either tempted to look up or you actually do look up. Then you wonder, why is everyone looking up? I don’t see anything, OR: A new fashion trend comes out and we immediately have to have whatever it is. We don’t need it, we just want it. These two examples illustrate something that we don’t always like to admit: we follow the pack. Remember when you were little and you wanted to do something because “all your friends were doing it” and your Mom said, “so if everyone jumped off a cliff, would you follow them, too?” We tend to be followers and unfortunately, in most cases, we are not following the best course.

The same holds true within our own selves. There are few things more painful than waiting for God to reveal our purpose, especially if we've been going through life with no thought to our purpose or plan. Fulfilling God’s purpose is a journey, not a destination. As with any journey, you have to take steps and it depends on whether you are leading your own way or letting God order your steps that will determine your ultimate satisfaction and enjoyment with your life. How do you know if what you think you ought to do is coming from the Lord? This is a question that has been asked throughout the ages and will continue to be asked by all who seek to discern God’s will and purpose in their lives. Everyone has a purpose. We were each created with our own unique gift. Unfortunately, many of us go through life, feeling dissatisfied and with a sense that something is missing, but we don’t take the time to discover what that “something “is. Then we suffer from “if only I had done this,” things might have turned out different.

When you begin to discover your calling, you enter a period of discernment. Webster defines discernment as: to separate, to sort out, and to sift through. The key, though, is to first have a desire to discover that gift. How often have you heard, or maybe said yourself, “I don’t know what I want to do!” The mere fact that you have expressed this indicates a desire on your part to do or be more than what you presently are. That’s the beginning of discovery. There comes a time in each of our lives when we have to take stock of ourselves and see exactly what we are bringing to the table that’s meaningful. Most of us spend our lives taking care of our families. Although this is noble, this is not our calling, but rather our duty. Your calling is not for you alone. While you may grow personally, your vocation is always a call for others, a call to be of service to others. So, how do you begin to identify which direction the Lord is leading you?

1.Listen to your dissatisfaction – It’s standard practice to believe that if you’re dissatisfied with something, it means that something is wrong and we should be more appreciative. So we ignore it, act like it doesn't bother us, take a pill, go shopping or just decide that this must be my “lot in life.” Dissatisfaction can be a result of spiritual warfare, yes, but, we never stop to consider that God may have another path for us to follow and we've just become stuck. God has been trying to get us to move but we refuse. So, he shakes our foundation.

2.Listen to others – If you begin to get the same message from several people about what you’re good at, it might be worth your while to think about it. If one person tells you their opinion, that’s just it-one person’s opinion. It several people tell you the same thing, whether good or bad, it might be time for you to consider what’s being said. Have you found yourself saying, “You know, you are not the first person to tell me that?” This might be a road sign from God to point you in the direction of your purpose. God might be trying to tell you something through His people. God gives us the gift of discernment, so everything that people tell you does not necessarily mean it’s in alignment with God’s purpose on your life.

3.Listen to your passions – Have you ever considered your gifts? The gifts that God gives us are like little seeds that have been planted in our spirit, but in order for them to grow, we must use them. What are you passionate about? What do you like to do for others that you would do without getting paid to do it? This self-analysis is the beginning of the journey to self-awareness, which then leads to self-actualization. This simply means you take a look at yourself to become aware of yourself to move into actually doing something about yourself! Remember, you are not on a spiritual island. God ministers directly through our gifts to provide us with a platform to serve others. When you begin to operate in the context of your gift, you seem to do so effortlessly. There is little stress and you don’t tire easily. You will emerge from your service with such excitement that you are generally ready for more. On the other hand, assign that same job description to someone who isn't gifted for it and it becomes dreadfully stressful.

It’s not easy for us to wait and FOLLOW the Lord. We want to LEAD and have the Lord bless what we’re doing. Instead, we should SEEK the will of God and strive to do and be what He is already blessing. It has been my experience that God is more able to lead you into your purpose, without your help. He will guide you exactly where you need to go; your job is to remain open to what He want to do through you, while you wonder, wander and wait.

What are you doing while you’re waiting?