“Where are you?”
God told Adam and Eve: “Do not eat the fruit from this tree”. God was talking about the tree of knowledge of good and evil. But Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate from that tree. They created their own reality by doing what they wanted to do rather than doing what God told them to do. They did what felt good; Adam became a people pleaser and did what Eve wanted him to do rather to do what God wanted him to do.
God says to us in Isaiah chapter 45: “I am the Lord and there is no other. I do not whisper in some dark corner. I would not have told the people of Israel to seek me if I could not be found. I the Lord speak only what is true and declare only what is right. “
God speaks to us all the time. But sometimes in the decision making moment things get a bit cloudy; the boat start to rock back and forth in the waves; a storm starts; and we start to panic and our thinking becomes unclear – and we make the wrong decisions.
Basically we make the wrong decisions because we stop listening to God. For whatever reason our emotions take hold of us in a bad way and our judgment gets cloudy.
God says in Isaiah:
“Be still, and know that I am God!”
Be still. Take it easy. Take a deep breath. Go for a walk. Relax your mind. Remember God. Pray. Listen to Him. Think of Him. Focus on God. Do whatever it takes to get back to listening to His voice and finding out what it is He wants you to do. Not what a million other voices are telling you what to do.
I love the verse in the Bible that says:
“Who are you to judge someone else’s servant?” – Romans 14:4.
Exactly, who am I to judge what God is telling you to do?
Maybe you are a Somali Christian living in Canada or the United States or Europe and for the time being God has told you to remain quiet about your faith because you are living at home or in a certain situation.
But God has a plan for your life. HE is working our some details. He has a job for you to do. What you need to do is literally get on your knees and spend some hours in prayer to find out what that calling is on your life – what is it that God wants you to spend the rest of your life doing.
“Where are you?”
This is the question. Are you where God wants you to be? Or are you just somewhere because of the security blanket that surrounds you? Are you doing what God wants you to do? Or are you where you are because you have a bed to sleep in; some money in your pocket; meals prepared for you; and a place to call home.
Jesus said: “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head.”
Jesus also said to His disciples: “These were his instructions to them: “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields. Now go, and remember that I am sending you out as lambs among wolves. Don’t take any money with you, nor a traveler’s bag, nor an extra pair of sandals. And don’t stop to greet anyone on the road.”
My dear friends, I have given up my life for the Lord. I have stopped pursuing my own interests – and believe me I had many. But there came a point in my life when I said to God: “I don’t want to do things my way anymore. I don’t want to pursue what I want to pursue. I don’t want to make money the way I know how. I want to do your will – Show me God – what is it that you want me to do?”
The Bible says: “Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?”
I said, “Here I am. Send me.”
Listen up brothers and sisters! God has a plan for you life. God has more for you to do than for you to get up and go and make your shekels. God has more in mind for you than to just put a few dollars into your purse or into your bank account. Don’t worship your debit card, or credit card, or bank account. Don’t be impressed with the shininess of your car; or the elegance of your clothes.
“Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tender-hearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.”
Get out there and do what God wants you to do. And if you don’t know then get on your knees and pray for a few hours; pray for a day; pray for a weekend. Get on your knees and pray and ask God to show you what it is He wants you to do. Let Him know you mean business.
Bring God the resume of your life and say: “Here I am. Send me.”
Tell God: “I am sick and tired of doing things my way; I am sick and tired of just living for this world and the things of this world. Take my life and let it be a holy life set apart for you.”