Do You Lack Direction? Why Waiting is Always the Best Option.

I feel like God is tugging on me. I’m at a crossroads of sorts, no clear path in any direction for me to follow. I’m like an arrow spinning on its axis, searching for the next step in my life but the map is blank, shrouded in possibilities too far away to see.

And so I stand. 

I stand and wait.

And that’s okay, because sometimes standing and waiting is a part of God’s plan.

The world doesn’t always agree with me. The world tells me to hurry, life is passing by so grab all that you can before it’s too late. The world tells me standing still is folly, that I will become nothing more than a speed bump in life, something to get trampled on or a hindrance to someone else’s path.

But the world doesn’t know, or understand, what I know.

Sometimes waiting is the best plan when you’re faced with the unknown. Sometimes moving too fast in one direction causes you to miss the little detours in life that are crucial to a life dedicated to following God’s will. Sometimes moving too fast causes you to miss God all together…the blessings, the joy, a life filled with purpose…sometimes these are only found when we stop, and wait for God’s direction.

The Bible says in Proverbs 3:5-6..."Trust the Lord completely, and don’t depend on your own knowledge. With every step you take, think about what he wants, and he will help you go the right way". (erv)

I wait because I know…I KNOW…that God’s plans for me are good, far better than anything the world has to offer. It’s tempting, I know, to take that golden fruit of promise the world holds out, but in the end, taking that first step without God’s approval will ultimately lead me in a direction God never intended me to follow.

So while the world is rushing by I am waiting…waiting for God to lead me.

And that is more than okay. 

It is everything.

Following Celebrities Isn't All It's Cracked Up To Be

So in the wake of recent newsworthy events I’ve been following I recently found myself a bit shocked at the various reactions by people that I don’t know, but love.

Let me explain.

While I don’t understand the premise behind it, I am an avid follower of people on Twitter.  I’ve tried posting my thoughts but have found the lack of response quite…well…frustrating.  So instead I follow people and get my kicks out of reading their tweets, although lately the tweets have gotten a bit heavy-handed.

You see, I follow a number of well-known celebrities.  Why?  For the simple fact that I love the characters they portray in the shows that I watch, and I thought it would be fun to ‘listen’ in on their real lives.  Normally their tweets are funny and lighthearted, but due to recent events in the news I have found myself at odds with them and their belief systems.  It’s come to the point where I am questioning my sanity at continuing to follow them.

Reality has collided with fiction, and I’m not sure I like it.

It’s easy to forget while watching the latest episode of the show you love that these people on the screen are playing a part.  They are not reflecting who they are in real life.  The way they talk, the way they react, they way they live cannot be accurately portrayed through the lens of a camera.  Their beliefs and values are radically opposed to my own, and it is at this point that I have found my love for them a bit tarnished.

That’s why I am so thankful that Jesus is not like that.   In Hebrew 13:8 it says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever”.

What does that mean?  It means that His love never changes, that His laws abide forever, and that He will never go along with the crowd for the sake of ‘fitting in’.  He won’t be swayed by political correctness, He won’t base His life and His decisions by the latest trend or fad, He won’t punish people after they’ve been forgiven and their sins are washed away.  In short, Jesus will never change who He is for the sake of worldly vision or values.

And I find that immensely comforting.

I don't have to base my life and beliefs on what someone else believes because I am serving a God who never changes.  I can enjoy the characters these people portray while resting in the knowledge that who they are in real life are people who need the Savior as much as I do.  So let those celebrities rant and rave over supposed injustices, let the world fly their flags of tyranny and political correctness, it will not change who my God is and it will not sway me from following Him.  As it says in Joshua 24:15…

“If you have no desire to worship the LORD, choose today whom you will worship, whether it be the gods whom your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. But I and my family will worship the LORD!"

Amen