I remember sitting around with my college friends talking about what God had in store for our lives. What was He going to call me to do? and could He just do it already so I could plan out the rest of my life, please?
The truth is, had He told me then what I know now, I’m not sure I would have accepted it. Growing up as a missionary kid, I was ready to go wherever He wanted me to go–even the uttermost parts of the earth. But what He asked me to do was be willing to stay. As you can imagine, I have wrestled with that calling throughout my life.
I have come to realize that I viewed my “calling” the wrong way. I always imagined there would be this ONE THING He would ask of me. I figured there was one way for me to leave a mark on this world (I never really considered if that mark would be mine or His). And I was always waiting for Him to let me in on the big secret so I could get the ball rolling.
Here is what I have learned: Your calling isn’t some big thing you will do in the future. It is made up of the little steps you take today in obedience to Him.
It might look like changing dirty diapers, cleaning toilets, teaching a Sunday school class, discipling someone one-on-one, or even holding babies in the nursery. It might be going to a job from 8 to 5 everyday, taking orders from someone who doesn’t share your values, or knowing you can never do enough for the children in your classroom who are hurting.
My mom used to tell me to “bloom where you’re planted,” and I’m pretty sure this is what she meant. Stop waiting for God to show you what He wants you to do in the future, and do what He’s asking you to do now.
You may wonder if you took a wrong turn along the way, didn’t listen to His guiding of your steps, and ended up in the wrong place. Take heart! You are where you are called to be. It might not be as glamorous as you imagined, but as you take those small steps in obedience today, you are storing up treasures in Heaven, where the world’s version of glamorous is a drop in the bucket!
Ever since I read Frank Peretti’s book Piercing the Darkness, I will admit I have struggled with yoga and meditation. I have never really done yoga as a result, but the Bible commands us to meditate. However, when Scripture talks about meditation, it is very different than how I see others teaching it.
Meditation is usually taught in a way that encourages you to clear your mind of everything. Accomplishing this is quite the feat. Have you ever tried to clear your mind of everything? The only way I have been able to get anywhere near it is by thinking of a large black wall. Go ahead, try it, I’ll wait…
I’ve been doing quite a bit of research into neuroscience, and one thing I have been able to decipher is that the brain rests in activity, not in inactivity. Let me explain. When you are sleeping, your brain is actually working harder than it did all day! When you are deliberately thinking about something, you actually slow your brain down.
Unlike your body, your mind gets tired when it is bored. Have you ever noticed when you spend all day vegging out on the couch binge watching Netflix, you go to bed exhausted? It is because your brain is bored.
What’s really interesting is the Bible supports this. When Scripture tells us to meditate, it has nothing to do with clearing our minds of every thought. Instead, we are commanded to meditate on His Word. We are to think about, process, and digest Scripture. We are to take our thoughts captive and process them through the lens of the Bible.
So if you want to meditate the biblical way, you need to read your Bible and then think about what you read.
Here are some questions to think through:
What did that passage teach you about God?
Did it point out a sin, a promise, a life principle, etc.?
Every time I hear the phrase “even if” it reminds me of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and the fiery furnace (Daniel 3). They were threatened with being thrown into the fire if they didn’t worship the king’s idol. I’m always amazed by their response: Our God can protect us, but EVEN IF He doesn’t, we will still worship only Him.
Will you worship only God…
Even if you don’t pass that test?
Even if you don’t get that job?
Even if you don’t get that promotion or rank?
Even if He doesn’t restore your marriage?
Even if He doesn’t save your child?
Even if He doesn’t cure that terrible disease?
It is easy to be impressed with those who have gone before. Sometimes we hear these stories so often they lose their wonder.
I’m praying for you today because life is hard, and these questions are hard, and we hope we will make the right choice when we are faced with it!
I remember when I started reading the book of Joel. I had recently attended a Living Proof Live conference with Priscilla Shirer, and she had taught us her 5 Ps of Bible Study. I wanted to put the system to the test, so I chose a short book in the Bible that I didn’t know too much about. It’s funny how God leads you to things because, if I had known that Joel is a book about locusts, I probably would have done a 180 right into another book.
I struggled through the first few days of “poring over the passage” and “paraphrasing the major points.” The major points? It’s about locusts! How on earth was I going to “pull out any spiritual principles” and apply them to my life? Because…LOCUSTS. Some of my notes are along the lines of “I don’t know what to do with this passage.” Some passages brought more questions than answers.
What I haven’t told you is I was going through a deep mourning in my life. During the time I was studying this passage, my dad was being shuffled between nursing homes and the hospital because he kept falling down: locusts. He was forgetting how to swallow and was wasting away: locusts. I had recently started homeschooling my kids, so I had lost a big part of my community: locusts. My kids were struggling with loneliness as a result of our decision: locusts. My relationship with my family was strained: locusts. I was terrified that I would inherit my dad Alzheimer’s and was frantically searching for preventative measures: locusts.
Though I wasn’t experiencing judgment from God for turning my back on Him, I began to understand what the Israelites must have felt. The truth is the bad things that happen in this life may not be directly connected to my personal sin, but they are the result of sin.
As I ended chapter 2 of the book of Joel, God makes a promise. If the Israelites will turn back to Him, He “will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten.” I came to this passage shortly after my dad had gone to Heaven. What a hope it gives me!
Not everything the locusts have eaten will be restored to me here on earth, but little by little, I have watched God mend broken relationships, give me and my kids an amazing community of friends, and take away my fears of illness. And when I get to Heaven EVERYTHING will be restored!
But wait… there’s more!
Not only will God restore what the locusts have eaten, but He will bring His armies to fight for you! He will be your Strength and your Defender! All who come against you will know that you have God on your side! That’s the end of the book of Joel: an amazing promise of protection and victory.
Often we avoid the books of the Bible that we can’t understand at first glance. We prefer to read the books that make us feel good or give us a step-by-step checklist or keep us entertained with a story line. But the entire Bible is a love letter from God, and when we pick and choose or skip over portions of it, we miss big chunks of the beautiful picture of love and redemption.
Think About It:
1. Is there a book of the Bible the Holy Spirit has nudged you toward, but you have avoided?
2. Can you recognize “locusts” in your life that you need to surrender to God?
I’ve had a lot of people ask how I come up with the notes I write in my Bible. I felt a video would be a better way to show this. Although, I switch my resources up, the system I use stays consistent.
Feel free to drop any questions you may have in the comments, and I would love to know if you implement this study method!
