Whether you’ve believed in God for days, weeks, or years, following Him is one of those things Christians desire to do, but struggle with the know-how. We often have good intentions, but not always great follow through. We wonder why life feels unsettled.
How do you know if the path you’re on is the one God wants you on? How do you know if it’s time to make a change?
I love to stop and ask those questions periodically.
- Because it helps me remember all the ways God’s been faithful in the past.
- Because it strengthens my faith moving forward.
I don’t want to get stuck looking back. I want to keep pressing forward believing God is not done; He has more up ahead.
When our family moved to the Bay Area ten years ago to help start what is now Echo.Church, there was a lot of challenges and naysayers. There were plenty of logical reasons why we shouldn’t have come, but despite all of the why-not to’s, there was one reason the scale tipped the other way. God was leading us.
That one reason alone was enough to leave our family and a fruitful season of ministry. It was enough to trade our big house for a small apartment (& double the payments). It was the reason we risked our future knowing it could all easily go awry. Believing it was God’s path made all the difference.
Jeremiah 29:13 says, “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.”
God’s not playing games with us. He’s not holding his breath watching to see if we knock on the right door or interpret a hidden message written somewhere in the universe, and then laugh because we missed it. God is our Creator, our Heavenly Father. He longs for us to turn toward Him and acknowledge His presence. He’s not hard to find. The evidence of Him is all around; He desires for us to notice. And when we do, He is there.
Sometimes we struggle to follow God because we approach HIm by telling Him what WE want, rather than seeking Him and asking what HE wants. When we desire Him with our whole heart, then we’re ready for Him to lead us where He wants us to go. When the path makes a sharp turn, we don’t have to hesitate. When the path comes to a dead end, we don’t have to feel discouraged. When He’s leading, He gives us peace and joy no matter how difficult the journey.
Following God may not always make sense with our human mind, and there’s a part of that I love so much. Because it makes life thrilling- and slightly scary (but don’t the best moments in life involve risk?). When God is leading me I don’t have to worry about being super smart or rich. I don’t have to jump through hoops to prove I’m worthy of the path He’s got me on. When I’m seeking God, He is leading Me, and He will take me where I need to go. Sounds simple, right?
While it is simple, it’s not always easy.
Spend some time this week meditating on Jer. 29:11-13. Pray about the path you’re on. Ask God whether you’re on His path for you or your path for you.