As a child, particularly one as stubborn as myself, I often found myself doing the exact opposite of what I was told out of sheer curiosity to find out why I shouldn’t. Without fail, I found out, every single time.
Even now, I catch myself negotiating with God over matters He places before me. But as always, I’ve learned the hard way that Obedience saves me from unnecessary stress and most importantly, saves time.
Take for instance, the creation of this website- it was meant to come to life in 2022. I attempted to bargain with God about not putting my business out there as I believed that was what a journal was for. So, I opened an Instagram page, sharing only what I learned from my quiet time, without divulging personal details. However, I soon stopped posting altogether.
I did not feel qualified or holy enough to come out here telling folks about God and what He can do for them while I was and am still learning the depths of who He is. If anyone was to create such a website, shouldn’t it be someone without sin, a devout church goer, fully accomplished in their purpose and someone who has everything figured out?
You see, obeying God is one of His love languages and if we aren’t obeying Him, doesn’t that mean we have a love problem?
I once believed that I loved and trusted God wholeheartedly. However, not doing this website revealed otherwise. My actions or should I say inaction in this context betrayed that belief. It was as if I was indirectly telling Him I didn’t trust Him enough to follow His directive without the full details of what is to become of this website. Yet again, forgetting He is the Way, and once I take actionable steps, He would move with me, ready to course-correct if needed.
I’ve come to realize that God does not speak arbitrarily. Sometimes, we aren’t immediately prepared for tasks He assigns us. That is where the Holy Spirit steps in, working through us and qualifying us. God equips us with various fruits of the Spirit.
When God tells you to do something, do not procrastinate as I did. It could be as little as telling you to wake up to pray, reach out to a friend, forgiving past hurts or letting go of painful memories you often revisit. It might even involve starting a business or pursuing further education, and you’re telling God you don’t have the money as if He is not aware.
Do your part, start the process as if you already have what you need. He cannot bless what you have not started, give Him something to work with. If He sent you, you cannot fail as it means He has failed too. That’s lowkey what I use to threaten God, like G if I fail, You have failed too o, so let’s be guided, literally. Please note the above statement is not spiritual advice as I merely speak from experience, so kindly contact the Holy Spirit, your special GPS for more information on how to navigate your own journey and what routes to take. See what I did there?
If you can’t be faithful in a little, God won’t entrust you with greater responsibilities. He wants you to learn from these small assignments, building character and shortening your learning curve for the God-sized assignments He has in store for you. Revelation of these assignments stems from a close, personal relationship with God.
Consider this your reminder to go forth and do the great things you have put off for a million and one years (*laughs in hypocrisy*, I’m a work-in-progress please). Anyways, those nudges you get every now and then won’t simply fade away. I would know! Believe in yourself, trust your instincts and always seek God’s guidance every step of the way.
You never know; your breakthrough might be on the other side of your obedience.
Now sing the Trust and Obey song with me! So nostalgic!
“If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on earth”. Deuteronomy 28:1 NIV