Obeying God's Calling and Trusting in His Promises
“Karen, do you really think you can afford to stay in this city forever?”
“Are you sure that you’re cut out for higher education?”
“They know what they’re doing. You’re really going to let it slide?”.
“Don’t you think it’s a little silly to think that God is going to fully take care of you?”
“You’ve seen how these stories end. Don’t just sit there. Do something.”
I was listening to a podcast earlier this season that spoke on the story of Peter walking on water. The host suggested that when Peter took his eyes off of Jesus, he may have tried to rely on his own strength to save himself instead of trusting Jesus to keep him afloat, suggesting that we start to sink the moment we try to fix our problems and neglect Jesus, the one we are to trust.
Lately, I’ve been staring at a few storms of my own and have come to realize that I’ve become a professional overanalyzer. As I’ve been told by those closest to me, I’ve made a habit of looking for the catch- and I’ll do anything to protect myself from being caught off guard. Yet, for the sake of self-preservation, I realize that I lose out on the beauty that God has to offer. I find that I am too busy running towards the finish line, anticipating the ending, that I miss seeing God’s hand in the journey.
It wasn’t until I had a quite honest conversation with an older and wiser friend of mine that I realized it’s not just one area of life that I do this in, but all of them. We concluded that my fear of hurt, grief, or disappointment outweighs my trust in God.
But how could I blame myself when hurt, grief, and disappointment feel so scary?
It was in a moment of asking myself that question that I was reminded that even if I do feel those emotions, God is fighting for me.
“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
In my fear of being subjected to negative emotions, I overlooked the glaring fact that God is faithful to fulfilling all His promises as long as we remain obedient to His call.
This season in programs, we are teaching our students about the different leaders in the Bible. We explored the story of Abraham and Sarah. Although God had promised them a child, their reality made this promise seem impossible. Similar to me, both Abraham and Sarah struggled with believing God’s promises. Nevertheless, God continues to prove Himself faithful despite our disbelief.
It’s easy to explain all the reasons why I fear the outcome of situations and try so hard to ensure that I don’t walk away feeling more broken than when I arrived. Yet, I wouldn’t be honest if I didn’t say that God had brought me through each season I’ve been in and has proven Himself to be faithful each time. Like Abraham and Sarah, there are times when I question God’s promises, because to me, they seem absurd. However, my life continues to contradict my doubt, as my obedience to the Lord has always shown that He faithfully leads me to each promise and carries me through every trial.
Through this, God has reminded me of what He’s been teaching me all year: I don’t have to face every challenge on my own. I don’t need to peek behind every curtain or run ahead to see what’s around every corner. But my job is to be obedient to the call that He has given me without feeling the need to go to bat for myself because He has promised to do that. So, while there are still unknowns, I can be confident that the Lord is fighting for me through each situation and in every season.