How to know if God wants you to wait or run.
A few days ago I wrote a post about the need for us to wait. To slow down for a minute and accept that sometimes it’s not the word “no” we’re hearing, it’s the word “wait.”
A friend of mine named Blake wrote a comment and said the following:
I can identify, but sometimes I think I am the opposite. Sometimes I think God is telling me, "Now! GO! Do it now, Blake!"...but I end up saying, "Hold on, I need to go pray about this first." I tend to over analyze things and look for way too long before leaping.
That comment stuck with me because in some ways I’m wondering the same thing about my book. I initially planned to completely just pimp myself during 2008. Write query letters to literary agents, finish my book proposal, sleep on the doorstep of Thomas Nelson publishing and so on. I thought that was the best way for me to do something for God.
But now I’m not so sure. Now I don’t know if he’s saying wait or go. Be still or be bold and it’s a little confusing. In the midst of this confusion, God dropped a verse into my head that I had never noticed.
The verse is Mark 15:43 and the reason it hid from me all these years is that it occurs in the midst of the crucifixion of Christ. The verse is fairly small and not that crazy. It would be hard to compare it to something from Braveheart or put on a bumper sticker. But in some ways it changed the way I think of waiting and action.
Here is what it says:
43Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Council, who was himself waiting for the
What makes that verse special to me? It’s simple really. This verse perfectly captures the two different sides of faith. On the one hand Joseph is noted as someone who was “waiting for the
He didn’t do one or the other, he did both and I think that’s where I’ve been wrong most of my life. You see, I usually think it’s a one or the other type of world we’re living in. I either wait on God or I run with God. But Joseph did both. He waited and he sprinted. He was calm and bold. Peaceful and busy. (Insert your own two words that feel weird together.)
I know how Blake feels. I feel the same way and maybe I need to do both this year. Maybe I need to chill on pushing the book. And at the same time I need to crush this blog with daily posts and requests that you tell all your friends to check it out.
I’m not entirely sure yet, but one thing I do know. The answer to the question, “Should I wait on God or hustle as hard as I can?” is “Yes.”
p.s.That post started with an idea from Blake. I would love to write about your questions and ideas. If you have a question or an idea, let me know. You can always email me at theacuffs@yahoo.com.
4 comments:
I guess for me, it's more that sometimes I think God has already given me the go ahead on something. He's already shown me what His will is and is encouraging me to go. But then I, in my lack of faith sometimes, want to step back and try to think through everything again.
Reality is, sometimes He's wanting me to go for it; actually calling me to Himself... and I get nervous and want to go pray about it TO GOD to see see what I should do.
It would be like me telling my daughter to go clean her room, and her saying, "Maybe, let me go talk to my dad about it." All the while, her dad, ME, had already given her those instructions.
Jon, you always impress me, bud.
I'd like to buy your book, where can I get a copy?
hi you don't know me i happind upon your blog via google, my name is dana i live in regina sk canada with my wife and kids, we recently moved here from summerland bc canada about 7 months ago. We new two people and left all and i do mean all our family in bc. We went on faith knowing god had something in store for us, but to be honest we had no idea what. Know some quick back ground, we had been thinking of selling our place in summerland ,had prayed about it and literailly had someone knock on our door asking to buy our place, i flew to regina to find a job and a house i had 5 days, i found a job on the 5th day with about an hour to spair before my flight back. We put offers on threee houses and finally got one we had never seen inside just pictures. So when i say we were going in faith you can see how.
So how i found your blog, we have been looking at moving back since last month my job has not been going well we like our place no garage...guy thing. But are utterly in love with the church we find it is our home away from home , so it has been very tuff to make thing decition on one hand we have family in summerland and i got a sweet job offer from my old boss, and we have the opertonaty to build our own house. On the other hand we love our new chruch and all the new friends we have made..........i love what your friend said about how he deals with big stuff. I find it hard to disceern from gods will and satans temtations, i want to do whats best for my family but to be truthful i hate making big decitions because im afreid to make the wrong one. Its funny i say i have faith but i also say i find it hard to trust...ughhgg. So jon heres one for you and your fallowers give me insite as how you think you would handle this one if faced with it, hech all your readers can i would love the inside of believes who dont know me... help a fellow brother out email your comments to ahhblogpff@gmail.com heck chck out my wifes blog at talesfromtheclan.blogspot.com
thank you for posting those insightful words
god bless .
p.s. if my wifes profile comes up im sorry i have no idea how to shut it off.
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