How to be absolutely sure God is leading us. (part 8)

His leading is only for those who are already committed to do as  He may choose. To such it may be said, “God is able to speak loud enough to make a willing soul hear.” Lewis Sperry Chafer

Will it impinge on any tasks God has already asked me take on?

Sometimes we sense God changing His prior leading. Is it God or are we just wanting to move on to the next thing?

I believe God has specific tasks for each of us. If I’m already involved in something I believe God has called me to and it hasn’t been completed, would God call me to something else as well? That’s what this post is all about.

Let’s look at Moses. God gave Him orders to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. That was the one and only thing God required of him. Any additional assignment was only in agreement with carrying out that first assignment.

I think it’s easy to forget about a prior leading  when something more appealing comes along. We are flattered and we forget we haven’t finished the task we were previously assigned. Churches are infamous for asking people already functioning in an area of ministry if to take on something else. It happens all too often.

I taught Bible classes for years and while I did, I refused any other responsibilities for my church. I took my teaching position very seriously. God made it clear I should be teaching. I would’ve only been stroking my own ego if I’d said yes to anything else.

Churches rob others of the opportunity to serve when the same people are asked to fulfill roles within the church. I’ve always believed that if a church program is something God wants to continue, He’ll provide the people. If there are no people to run a program, the question to be asked is whether or not that program should exist at all.

We need to complete the one task before we start the other. When I talk to people heavily involved in their church and sounding stressed and anxious, I question what they’re doing and what their churches are doing. I was there myself once and wouldn’t do it again.

There are some programs that don’t continue to serve their original purpose. Churches get caught up in tradition and sometimes don’t know when a “pet” program needs to go. Those in authority ask the same people over and over again to take charge because they’ve always asked them and don’t trust that someone else could do the job as well.

Churches are notoriously “cliqueish”.

God is not the author of confusion or stress, but He can certainly change how he wants us to complete that initial assignment. We need to be open to that change. When God seems to change direction midstream, it can be confusing. This is when more intense prayer, or maybe prayer and fasting ,might be necessary to figure out whether God is the author or not.

I think sometimes God might change his direction because someone else is being prepared to take over our present situation. I’ve actually seen this happen on more than one occasion. I was heading a support group at our church and sensed God leading me to teach a Bible study. Once I was sure of that decision, there was immediately someone available to take over that position. God was working in both our lives.

I have another example. Years ago I felt God was directing me to write a book about depression. As  you know, I had a long history of episodes and am now depression free. I worked really hard to get better and learned a great deal. I researched everything I could get my hands on. I came up with a plan. I worked that plan and got better.

So I started writing. Then about two years ago I was surfing some blogs and felt some yearnings to start a blog. I sensed God was behind my plan. So I prayed and started to set up a blog. It was so frustrating I almost quit more than once. But I still sensed this was God’s leading. After a while it all made sense and I realized this was a way to get my message out to others. I’ve never doubted this was where God was leading. It isn’t the book but it all fits, doesn’t it?

And, of course, the book may well evolve because of this blog.

We are supposed to grow in our walk with God.

God progressively reveals concepts to us over time as we are ready to receive them. Any new direction doesn’t mean God got it wrong the first time.

I have had times when God has sent me in directions that seem contrary to how I’d experienced His guidance in the past. On further reflection, I realized that God was maturing me and my previous conclusions had to come under some spiritual revision.

Philippians 4:13, often misunderstood and misapplied, means that God equips us for the tasks HE brings our way, not the ones WE bring our way. We can’t take actions not ordained by God and expect God to equip us in the same way he would were he the Author. Read the verses surrounding Philippinas 4:13 and I’m pretty sure you’ll interpret it the same way. We cannot take Bible verses out of context and expect to get the message correct.

We can get so ho-hum about our faith, that we need to be challenged now and then. It gets us to thinking.

God bless and I hope you have a good day.

(The post, “How to be absolutely sure God is leading, part 8”, first appeared here.)