For Me, It Was Fear Of The Unknown
We all tend to seek a world of comfort, trying to construct and manage our lives with some security and predictability to make the illusion that we are in control.
In one moment God can pass by and shake everything up!
The decision to grow spiritually always involves a choice between risk and comfort. The truth is that the Spirit of God is guaranteed to ask us to go somewhere or do something we wouldn't normally want or choose to do, and each time it will mean going into new territory, taking on new challenges.
When I was walking and praying one day I heard these words, " Sell Your House!" Immediately I dismissed that thought as I really liked where we were living and it didn't make any sense to do this. As this thought kept coming back over and over, I mentioned it to my husband, who didn't seem too interested at the time, so I just left it with the Lord.
A year later my husband said to me, "I think we're supposed to sell our house, and I really don't want to". We both knew we needed to put the house up on the market, so we did and our house sold within the week. Without having any idea where we were to go next, we went to church the following week and a couple came up to us and asked if we would house sit for them for one year and look after their teenage son while they went to Africa as missionaries. My husband needed some time to think and pray about it and afterwards said to me, "I think we are to do this for their son".
We said, YES, and here is the rest of the story. We ended up house sitting for 5 years and during this time it freed up our finances to help our three sons get established in their life's passion and calling. They were able to attend New Life Christian Academy school, which in turn opened up the door for two of them to receive University scholarships to the United States and our other son the opportunity to develop in the area of his passion in the music industry. WOW! Only God knew what he was doing that day when he said to sell our house.
Obedience is better then sacrifice!
The choice to follow Jesus, to grow, will always mean that we must get out of the boat, our place of comfort, and realize fear and growth go together.
Isaiah 64:8 - But now, O Lord, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You are the potter; and we all are the work of your hand.
Father, I pray that we would be willing to yield and surrender our hearts afresh to you and allow your truth to bring a change in us, to shape us and mold us into your image and your likeness.
Amen
