Jill Johnson
By JILL JOHNSON
I will be the first to admit that I struggle with the unknown. I would like to know where I'm going, what I'm doing, who will be there, and how long I can expect to be in this place. It doesn't matter if it's a good situation or a hard situation.
I know to expect the trials and difficult times, it would just help to know they are coming and how long they will last. I am fully aware that this never happens, but I guess that's why I still struggle at times.
The sure thing seems logical, guaranteed, explainable, and comfortable. It is something I can basically control. The God thing can be uncertain, stretches me, takes faith, and leads me to places I might not have chosen on my own. It's giving up my control and trusting His. It takes putting my faith and trust in my Heavenly Father and reminding myself that He has never let me down.
I always think of "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding" from Proverbs 3:5. The sure thing situation usually comes with predictable steps, seeing the end result, and sometimes the approval of others. A God situation will usually ask me to move before I see the whole picture. Sometimes, just taking one blind step at a time. I can't see the end result, but I have to trust God's leading. It truly is not understanding but trusting God.
There have been times in my life when I have had to step out in faith. One time in particular, that I remember was a job situation. I had worked for many years for Christian friends who owned a garbage company. I did their billing, payroll, and accounts payable. After many years, they sold the company to a large national corporation. The company hired me to continue working.
I did not like my job at all. I was so accustomed to a Christian work environment, and this job made me feel like I had been thrown into a world I didn't know. It was a much longer drive, the people were not very nice, and my boss was extremely demanding. I would come home every day and tell Wayne how unhappy I was. He kept telling me to quit and find something else. I felt like I had to have a job lined up before I could quit.
Every job I applied for and interviewed for did not work out. I felt the Lord prompting me to step out in faith and to trust Him. He would take care of me. Finally, I gave my two-week notice. I was scared because I didn't have a job lined up to go to, but again, I felt at peace with my decision. The very first day of my unemployment, I received a phone call from a friend who worked at the Georgia Baptist Mission Board asking me if I would be interested in a full-time job. God provided. I had a wonderful job working with wonderful people. I just had to trust God and not myself.
If you look back at scripture, you see that God often calls people away from what might seem like a secure situation to something that is significant in their spiritual journey in life. Look at Noah, who built an ark before rain ever existed. Abraham was willing to follow God, not knowing the end destination. Moses was called by a burning bush by God to lead the Israelites. Several disciples were called by Jesus, and they just left their fishing nets and jobs to follow. There are stories all throughout the Bible that show faithful obedience does not require us to have all the answers up front. We just have to trust and follow.
I think the question becomes, do I want to be comfortable, or do I want God to mold and change my character while drawing me closer to Him in the process? I think when I am trusting God without knowing or seeing the outcome, He reminds me that my security is not in what I have or what I can do, but my security comes when I trust only HIM. I think of Proverbs 16:9: "In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps."
Walking with God, even if it's into the unknown, is better than any path I could ever choose. When I choose the path, my human heart questions, "Can I fail, lose, or am I safe?" When God directs my path, I am comforted because He is trustworthy, faithful, and always with me. The only dependable, trustworthy, faithful guide is God.
My prayer and encouragement for today is let's not settle for the sure path or things that feel certain and safe. Let's be brave enough to seek out and choose God's path for our journey. I have learned that God's ways are not my ways. The sure thing might keep us comfortable, but the God thing is always what changes us. I pray we all trust Him enough to choose faith in the "God thing."
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Jill Johnson finds spiritual applications in her everyday experiences as a wife, mother, grandmother, and Georgian. Jill is retired from the Georgia Baptist Mission Board and is available to speak to your church's women's gatherings. Reach her at jjohnson@gabaptist.org.
