Have you ever asked a question you immediately regretted? You know, the kind that comes with an answer you weren’t quite prepared to handle? The kind of answer that would require a lot from you? My prayer that summer was much like this. I had two babies and was working long, stressful hours at my job, but I wanted more. I prayed that summer asking God’s guidance on where to plug in at church or in the community. Where should I serve (meaning what committee should I join or where should I do a little volunteer work)? God answered those prayers, but not in the way I expected. Not in an easy, go-sign-up-for-that-committee kind of way. Instead, He said, “Come, follow me. It’s time to work for me.”
Part of me wanted to say, “No way, God. Not now. Haven’t you noticed that I have two kids under two, a demanding job, and piles of bills to pay? What are you thinking?!”
Instead, I whispered, “Yes, show me the way.”
It’s been quite a journey and one that continues to unfold. In hindsight, that first “yes” was the easy part. I agreed in blind faith, not knowing the full cost of such discipleship and without any idea where this journey would lead me. The hard part has been continuing to say “yes” to each next step. It’s been numerous boxing matches with fear and doubt, fighting back all the reasons I want to say “no” and struggling to stay in the “yes”. But, let me tell you that each “yes” has been so worth it and I’m beginning to see how they’re leading me toward this bigger plan God has for my life.
Overcoming your objections to saying “yes”
Maybe, like me, you’re feeling Jesus whisper “follow me,” but you are fighting all the reasons you should say “no”. Fear and doubt are powerful enemies, but God is bigger. How can we push past the insecurities that beg us to say “no” and instead press into our faith to say “yes”? Let’s look at some of the objections we often have to giving God our “yes” and how we can overcome them.
Susie Eller has a new book out called “Come With Me” about this very topic of saying “yes” to where God is leading. As I read it recently, my first thought was, “Where was this book 5 years ago when I was just setting out on this journey? I could have used this encouragement in those early years of learning to say ‘yes’”. The truth is I still need this encouragement to stay in the “yes” and trust where God is leading. I think I underlined and highlighted half the book and I’ll be sharing some quotes with you here. I did receive a free copy of the book as part of her launch team, but I absolutely loved it and encourage you to read it, too! {these are affiliate links, so you’ll be helping sustain this blog if you purchase through them}
What if my faith isn’t deep enough for this?
God called me in the infancy of my faith. Sure, I was a grown mother-of-two, but my faith was still so young. Many days, I questioned how I would face the next step. How was I supposed to lead a team of women much further along the faith journey than me? These women were prayer warriors and leaders in their own right. I had to face questions on why was I taking these steps and had to learn to talk about my faith. I learned to lean into my faith to battle the doubts and insecurities; had to grow deeper roots to push past the failures and missteps.
The truth is that your faith won’t really grow until you begin to stretch it. We develop real faith when we test it and learn to rely on it alone. We have to step beyond our own capabilities and into the places where only God is capable to truly find our faith. It’s in the saying “yes” and following Jesus that our faith grows enough.
Dig deeper when you feel doubt begin to creep in. Pray often and stay rooted in scripture. Listen for God’s words through prayer and through your Bible.
“When I refuse to go deeper, my faith lingers in the shallow.” (Suzie Eller, Come With Me, chapter 1)
Am I sure I want to leave this behind?
We can’t do it all – even though we so often try. So, when Jesus asks us to follow him, it usually means giving something up. The disciples couldn’t keep their day jobs and follow Jesus. They had to give up something. We don’t all have to quit our jobs, but we probably will have to give up something in order to give Jesus our time and focus. Maybe that’s giving up some TV or internet time. Maybe it’s giving up bad habits. Maybe it’s saying “no” to something you like to do, even something good, so that you have the time and energy to say “yes” to something better.
Following Jesus isn’t about what we leave behind, but what we’re walking towards. Where is he leading you? Focus on the destination. Step into where God leads facing forward, not focused on the rearview mirror.
“Where we go is not nearly as important as who we go with.” (Suzie Eller, Come With Me, chapter 2)
What if I’m not enough to do this thing God’s asked me to do?
For me, this is the one I battle most. This is where the enemy whispers lies into my heart. I don’t have the right experience, skills, contacts, etc… I’m just not enough for this wild, crazy thing God’s calling me to do. I hear that on the big things and the small things alike.
The secret is that God uses our ‘not enough.’ It’s when we lean in and trust Him to equip us, He turns that ‘not enough’ into ‘more than enough.’ I’ve come to acknowledge that I’m not enough. I never will be enough for where God’s leading me. But, He is enough and He is big enough to equip me for whatever task he lays before me. This is where my faith has grown the most through this journey.
“Our not enough becomes more than enough when we give it to God.” (Suzie Eller, Come With Me, chapter 6)
So, will you say “yes” and push past all the reasons you want to say “no”? Step out into the deep with Jesus and find that place where faith comes to life. Face these fears and doubts and ask God to pull you through, showing you the joy in becoming who He made us to be.
[This post is part of the Visible Faith series. Click here to learn more about this series on how to live a vibrant, visible faith.]
Overcoming Your Objections to Say Yes to God – Prayer & Possibilities
Part of me wanted to say, “No way, God. Not now. Haven’t you noticed that I have two kids under two, a demanding job, and piles of bills to pay? What are you thinking?!”
Instead, I whispered, “Yes, show me the way.”
It’s been quite a journey and one that continues to unfold. In hindsight, that first “yes” was the easy part. I agreed in blind faith, not knowing the full cost of such discipleship and without any idea where this journey would lead me. The hard part has been continuing to say “yes” to each next step. It’s been numerous boxing matches with fear and doubt, fighting back all the reasons I want to say “no” and struggling to stay in the “yes”. But, let me tell you that each “yes” has been so worth it and I’m beginning to see how they’re leading me toward this bigger plan God has for my life.
Overcoming your objections to saying “yes”
Maybe, like me, you’re feeling Jesus whisper “follow me,” but you are fighting all the reasons you should say “no”. Fear and doubt are powerful enemies, but God is bigger. How can we push past the insecurities that beg us to say “no” and instead press into our faith to say “yes”? Let’s look at some of the objections we often have to giving God our “yes” and how we can overcome them.
What if my faith isn’t deep enough for this?
The truth is that your faith won’t really grow until you begin to stretch it. We develop real faith when we test it and learn to rely on it alone. We have to step beyond our own capabilities and into the places where only God is capable to truly find our faith. It’s in the saying “yes” and following Jesus that our faith grows enough.
Dig deeper when you feel doubt begin to creep in. Pray often and stay rooted in scripture. Listen for God’s words through prayer and through your Bible.
Am I sure I want to leave this behind?
We can’t do it all – even though we so often try. So, when Jesus asks us to follow him, it usually means giving something up. The disciples couldn’t keep their day jobs and follow Jesus. They had to give up something. We don’t all have to quit our jobs, but we probably will have to give up something in order to give Jesus our time and focus. Maybe that’s giving up some TV or internet time. Maybe it’s giving up bad habits. Maybe it’s saying “no” to something you like to do, even something good, so that you have the time and energy to say “yes” to something better.
Following Jesus isn’t about what we leave behind, but what we’re walking towards. Where is he leading you? Focus on the destination. Step into where God leads facing forward, not focused on the rearview mirror.
What if I’m not enough to do this thing God’s asked me to do?
For me, this is the one I battle most. This is where the enemy whispers lies into my heart. I don’t have the right experience, skills, contacts, etc… I’m just not enough for this wild, crazy thing God’s calling me to do. I hear that on the big things and the small things alike.
The secret is that God uses our ‘not enough.’ It’s when we lean in and trust Him to equip us, He turns that ‘not enough’ into ‘more than enough.’ I’ve come to acknowledge that I’m not enough. I never will be enough for where God’s leading me. But, He is enough and He is big enough to equip me for whatever task he lays before me. This is where my faith has grown the most through this journey.
So, will you say “yes” and push past all the reasons you want to say “no”? Step out into the deep with Jesus and find that place where faith comes to life. Face these fears and doubts and ask God to pull you through, showing you the joy in becoming who He made us to be.
[This post is part of the Visible Faith series. Click here to learn more about this series on how to live a vibrant, visible faith.]