Would God ever ask us to do something you don't want to do?
Not sure if you have ever been in a situation like I am going through, where you feel that God is leading you in a direction you don't necessarily want to go. You don't feel that the call is what you want to do and it doesn't line up with your personal desires. You want your way for your life.
Right now we have made the decision to leave our small town life and are only taking what can fit into our van and moving to Los Angeles so my husband can attend seminary and eventually become a pastor.
It is a dream he has had for as long as I have known him yet I never thought we would have to leave everything and never go to school in a different country. We are leaving our life and job here and moving our three kids to the unknown. And I am really struggling with wanting to do God's best and not stay here and just be happy.
Maybe for you it is taking a job that you don't want to or moving or saying no to marry someone you really wanted to marry, or being willing to be brave and bold and share your faith even if that means losing friendships or maybe God is asking you to walk with Him through an illness. We all have roads we have not wanted to walk down yet God asked us to.
In times like this I am reminded about the story of Joseph found in Genesis. Here this young man kept having dreams and desires to be leader when he is thrown into a pit, sold into slavery and then sent to prison for a crime he did not commit. I'm sure he was jumping up and down asking God to pick him for this long road to become a great leader.
I would imagine that during some of this time he wondered how would he ever become a leader now and I'm sure that he didn't fell very happy about it especially being in jail for a few years. We get to see the end and see that God had a plan through it all, by doing this Joseph was able to become a humble, refined leader who eventually saved Israel and Egypt from starvation. God chose him to do this job and it wasn't easy.
Yes, It is incredibly hard
I think this has been the hardest point in my walk with God. It is a new level of laying down everything for Him. Having to give up my personal desires of having my comfy home in a town I love with my dear family and friends down the road and my beautiful garden. And moving to a concrete city where we will have to downsize to a two bedroom apartment where we know no one.
God wants a holy priesthood not a happy one
I have cried and questioned God. Why would He not want me to be happy? The truth is God wants a holy people not a happy people. No I'm not saying that God doesn't ever want us to be happy please don't think that. But His goal for our lives isn't that we are happy every moment but rather that He wants to refine us as we go through life's challenges and do things that we might not want to do and do things for His glory.
This is hard. It means dying to our own dreams and desires to follow a greater purpose, His purpose. It means not listening to the world when it tells us it is all about us and means repenting when we think we are more important that God.
Putting things into perspective
If you want to be challenged just look at missionaries of old who laid it all down and when they left their country for the mission field they packed their belongings in a casket because they knew it was a finale decision and they wouldn't be returning alive. One can only imagine the conversation and struggle they had with their friends and family and God as they said goodbye forever. I'm sure some weren't happy with it but in the end wanted God's best.
I'm sure they wanted to stay but they looked at the cross and remembered what Christ did for them and that this life is only fleeting, that one day it will pass away. And in that moment we will be face to face with the King and what are we going to respond " I wanted the easy way and my way, sorry Jesus?"
Or are we going to fall on our face in worship with tears rolling down our cheeks while laying our crowns down at Jesus feet saying "Jesus you were worth every moment of the the suffering, sacrifice and pain. Holy, worthy is the lamb that was slain!"
Two choices in the end
I guess the truth is we have two choices in the end. Either, we say no to God and follow the worlds advice and follow our own dreams for our life, do whatever makes you happy because a loving God would never want you to suffer or persevere.
Or the second would be to follow Romans chapter 5 verses 3-5 "and not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us."
Even when we know it will be one of the hardest things in our life we remember that it no longer I who lives but Christ in me. It will be hard but I trust knowing that my God will never leave me nor forsake me and though I can't see the end I know that God has a reason for this journey and I need to remind myself of this. It will all work out for His glory in the end.
Genevieve Wilson is a happily married stay at home, home-schooling mum of 3, whose passion is to see people come to know Jesus. She worked 8 years as a missionary with Youth with a Mission(YWAM). She has a heart for justice and to see the abolition of the modern day slave trade.
Genevieve Wilson's previous articles may be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/genevieve-wilson.html