"At the command of the LORD they camped, and at the command of the LORD they set out." I love this example of following God's leading. He used the form of a cloud hovering over the tent of meeting to let the people know when He wanted them to stay in camp, and when He wanted them to move to the next spot, and the Israelites did not move from their camp until they saw the cloud move--no matter how long it took or how short the rest was. I don't know about you guys, but this is exactly how I want to live my life. When God says to stay, I want to stay put, and when He says to move ahead, I want to obey. I think so many of us have the desire to do this, right? So what stops us? I think there are a few things that come against us and make this desire harder to carry out.
When God tells us to stay put...
- We get bored. We want a change of pace and scenery; we want something different to happen; we want some kind of excitement and to not be stuck in the drudgery of everyday life. I think it's almost like getting cabin fever, but with life's circumstances.
- We get discouraged. We are tired of the same battles, the same trials, the same pain. We are desperate to get to a different season of life and to move ahead from the things that never seem to get any better. We might question why we still haven't learned what we need to, and start to feel defeated and hopeless.
- We get antsy. Maybe we know what God wants us to do, and we have a vision and goal from Him that we just can't wait to get started on! Waiting where we are at when we know what "could be" is torture; it's really challenging to stay faithful in the current task when the new one seems so much better.
On the other hand, when God tells us to move on...
- We feel afraid. We don't know what is coming up, and things feel so secure and safe here. We are content and in a good place; why would we want to shake that up? What if doing that means we "ruin everything", or the things up ahead aren't as good as what we already have?
- We feel grief over leaving things behind. Maybe moving ahead means letting go of people, places, or things that mean a great deal to us, and it's intensely painful to even think of losing them! We don't understand how God could have given us such good things, only to ask us to leave them now.
- We are exhausted. It feels like we've already had to journey so, so much, and the thought of moving into more growth, work, and spiritual "travel" is overwhelming. We are so weary we can't fathom taking another step in faith. We just want to sit down where we are at and rest!
I think God often calls us to simultaneously stay put and also to move ahead in different arenas of life. Maybe He says to stay where you're at when it comes to a challenging relationship (that you'd much rather just give up and move on from), but He is calling you to move ahead into new opportunities and work in your ministry or job. Or maybe He wants you to be content in the teeny little house you are living in (when a bigger, better home is calling your name!), but He says it's time to release those old habits that are keeping you back from fully following Him. We need to have every facet of our lives surrendered to Him and be ready to either go or stay as He calls us.The question is, how do we let God lead and follow Him without trying to go ahead of Him or lag behind so He has to drag us forward? The answer depends on whether our struggle is with the staying put or the moving ahead.
The Key to Obeying God in Staying Put is Contentment
God has us "camped" where we are for a reason, no matter how much it feels like drudgery, and how much better things up ahead seem to be. There are lessons to learn, relationships to build, work to accomplish, and even blessings to experience right where we are, and we will really miss out if we are too busy pining for what's next to be aware of our "here and now". Instead of complaining about how long we have to stay camped out, what if we instead try to find contentment in where we are at? I'm not at all saying this will be easy; in fact, it probably isn't even possible in our own strength. Even Paul mentions how impossible it can be to find contentment in every situation, but he also tells us in Philippians 4:12-13 what the key is to doing it:
"I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength." We need to seek God to give us the grace and ability we need to stay content for as long as He calls us to stay put.
The Key to Obeying God in Moving Forward is Faith
So what about when it's time to stop "camping out" and instead start to move forward into new things? Well, I think the key in this arena is faith. "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." Hebrews 11:1. We must have faith that when God calls us forward, He will take care of us, provide for us, and protect us; that He has better things ahead for us than anything we leave behind; and that He will equip and strengthen us for the journey, no matter how weary we may feel.
None of this is easy, Guys, but I'm finding that very few things in a life poured out to Christ and devoted to His will really are! This is why we cannot rely on ourselves AT ALL. Everything that we do must be done through the power of God at work within us. It is only in relying on Him and asking Him to equip us that we will have victory, whether we are staying put, or moving into the new adventures He has in store for us. My challenge to you is to really reflect on where God has you and what He is calling you to do now. Does He want you to stay put and learn the practice of contentment? Or is He calling out a growth of faith so that you can move ahead into the unknown with Him? I hope that as you rely on Him, you can follow through with obedience in either situation.
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