Have you ever felt like God wasn’t giving you a break?
It’s like no matter how much you pray about something, things don’t seem to be getting any easier. Life is hard and there’s no denying it.
When I was so fed up with how my life was going, I quit my busy high paying job in New York to go on a cross-country road trip for two months. I had no more excuses not to try and listen to what God was trying to communicate with me.
This was when it hit me. The real reasons why God wasn’t working in my life was because I wasn’t letting him.
- I didn’t give God much to work with.
I spent most of my career grumbling and complaining, but not doing anything to change my circumstances.
I realized I’ve been complaining to Him about how unfulfilling my job was and God was probably just wondering like a wise parent would, “So what do you want to do about it? I’m here to help you, but not do everything for you.”
This was my problem. I was unhappy, but I wasn’t doing anything to get me closer to the things that God’s has placed in my heart that mattered to me the most.
I used the fact that I had no idea what to do next as an excuse to do nothing. When I did nothing, God had nothing to work with. I just needed to make a choice and give Him something. This was my next problem.
- I was always asking God to make my choices for me.
Growing up in the church, you’d often hear questions like:
“How do I know if God wants me to move to a different job?”
“What school zone should I place my children in?”
“What is God’s will for my life?!”
When I asked these kinds of questions to God, I didn’t want to take responsibility for my decisions. If I got clear instruction from God, then at least I can blame Him if things went bad.
During my road trip, the truth dawned on me. God is big enough to work with whatever choices you make.
Read this: How do I know what God’s will is for my life
God wasn’t there to give me step by step instructions on every decision I made. His will for my life wasn’t as much about what I did, but it was more about who I was becoming. If I become who God wants me to be, my choices will reflect my character accordingly.
- I refused to let God interrupt my life.
When Mary got pregnant with Jesus, I would imagine the conversation with Joseph went something like this:
Mary: I’m pregnant
Joseph: What?!
Mary: But don’t worry, I didn’t lay with another man. It was God who gave me this child.
Joseph: Oh, Ok (nervous smile)
You could see in the scripture Joseph clearly didn’t believe Mary.
Because Joseph, [Mary’s] husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. Matthew 1:19
Joseph was probably freaking out, but God intervened to tell him not to worry and she indeed has a child that came from the Lord.
Joseph could’ve left her, but he let God interrupt his life even though a crazy situation was being placed upon him. Something tells me this is how God operates.
After running away from home, Moses was interrupted when he saw a burning bush and was told to save his people from the reign of Pharaoh. Abraham was 75 years old when he was interrupted to go out and start a new nation. Simon and Peter were fishing one day until they were interrupted by Jesus to follow Him.
Most of my life, I was busy trying to control my circumstances and prioritize making my future a safe and risk-free average life. I didn’t want anything to get in the way of that. Even God.
I asked myself, would I be willing to be interrupted by God, even if it entailed if it meant scary and uncertain moments like these? The truthful answer was no.
God was so silent in my life not because He wasn’t speaking to me, but because I couldn’t hear Him through all the fears and insecurities I was buried under.
Read this: What I Learned When God Was Silent
The Bible contains story after story where a good life becomes interrupted because He called the individual to an amazing life. This was the type of willingness I needed to give God in order to work in my life. The willingness to let go of my anxieties and follow Him at a moment’s notice. The willingness to let go of my anxieties and follow Him at a moment’s notice.
Our futures are like blank pages in a book and God has given us the pen.
So, the next time you feel like God isn’t working in your life, a good question to start with would be:
“Am I being a good steward of the life that God has given to me, no matter the circumstances?”
I’m not trying to downplay some of the horrible things that can happen in our lives, but are we willing to own up to the fact that God has equipped us to be capable of responding to some of the hardest situations with the same level of love Christ has given to us?
I am absolutely certain inside each and every person, there is something amazing God has placed inside. The hard part is all the love, passion and talent that resides in us can only be found when we take the time and effort to discover it.
Yes, that means it will be tough. Yes, that means it will be a scary journey.
But don’t you think it’ll be so worth it to be able to look back on your life one day and know you tried your best to live it?
Now read this: How to experience true joy in the new year
Eugene K. Choi is a talent activation coach who helps individuals discover real breakthroughs in their lives by finding the zone where their passions and talents intersect. You can download his free guide, Four Steps to Instantly Jump Start Your Best Life Ever for practical methods to connect with your calling.
