From Waiting to Walking

A Friend for Everything

Do you have one of those friends that is your go-to for everything? I do, and she's one of my best friends. Parenting advice? I go to her. Spiritual advice? She's my first call. Health advice? You guessed it; her again. You get the point. She probably gets tired of all my questions, but I keep going back to her because she's Spirit-led. She is also going to be honest with me whether I like what she has to say or not.

A Funny Start to a Meaningful Conversation

A few days ago, I had a conversation with this friend. This particular day, the conversation was actually started not by a question, but by a butt dial. Yes, those still happen. What’s even funnier is that I butt-dialed her the day before. Instead of hanging up the phone this time, we took the opportunity to talk. What followed was a meaningful conversation that left me reflecting for days.

Part of our conversation covered some current struggles in my life. I told her I wasn’t worried about it because I know that God will lead me through it. She reminded me that just because God has it, doesn’t mean we sit back and don't take part. She gently reminded me that there is a role that we all play in our lives. God wants us to be a part of what He is doing. In these moments, He is shaping us and fine tuning us.

God's Role and Our Actions

I wonder how many opportunities we’ve missed because we were waiting for God to move, but He was actually waiting on us to move with Him. Maybe we didn’t get that new job because we didn’t fill out the application, or maybe we haven’t made new friends because we haven’t actually put ourselves out there to make new friends. It’s hard to make new friends when you stay at home. Maybe we are still experiencing pain and health problems because we haven’t actually had the bloodwork done or seen the doctor that was recommended.

I can't even count the number of times I've missed out on an opportunity because I was waiting on God to do the work. Honestly, I don't know the exact number, but I'm sure it's a lot.

One example that comes to mind is from my time serving in a women's ministry at my church. We recently were discussing women that would be great for a particular role, but, we weren't sure if they would be interested. Then it hit me; what if they are waiting on someone to ask them. That realization struck a chord because it's been true for me so many times in ministry. Instead of stepping up and asking to serve more, many times I would just wait for someone to approach me. Looking back, I wonder how many opportunities I missed simply because I didn't take the initiative.

Here's the thing; we shouldn't dwell on missed opportunities or beat ourselves up over them. God surely isn't doing that. He 's not keeping a tally of our missed chances; instead He's cheering us on every time we take a step forward. Rather than focusing on the past, we can choose to look ahead. We can pray and ask God to help us to be more aware of these moments the next time they come around and be ready to act when they do.

God is in control. He's so powerful that He could drop a friend on our doorstep. I mean, He did make manna fall from the sky to feed the Israelites. God can do anything, but that doesn't mean He'll do all the work for us. A lot of what happens in our lives is us actually taking the opportunities the Lord has given us and utilizing them. He opens the doors; but we must take the first step and walk through them.

Self-Reflection and Growth

Even if we feel we are working with God and taking action, it's important to pause and reflect. Are we truly walking through the doors He's opened for us?

Sometimes, we think, “Oh, I am doing that. I’m good.” But as I was reflecting on this conversation and began writing this entry, the Holy Spirit said, “Yes, you're taking that initiative in this area, but not in that one.” Wow! I get it, Lord. Haha.

As believers, we're constantly growing. God is always working in us and through us; if we let Him. The key is to stay open to His guidance and be willing to take action.

There will be times when God calls us to wait. He doesn't always ask us to take action right away, so it is important to spend time in prayer, seeking His guidance and wisdom that way we understand what He wants for us in that moment.

What About You?

What doors has God opened for you recently? Are you ready to walk through them? Take a moment today and reflect. Write them down, pray about them, and take one small step forward. Let's trust God and move forward together.