Following His Lead

Following His Lead

By Carri P.

Quite often I can feel over whelmed thinking about what it is God wants from me. My stomach gets knotted up and a heavy curtain of anxiety lay upon me.  I feel a prompting here or there to do this or that and I cringe at the thought of placing these requests on my already crammed schedule.  I feel over whelmed and under prepared.  I feel inadequate and scared.  My conclusion is that my own sinful flesh is working against me.  As Mark 14:38 puts it, ^“The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” HSCB

I was recently standing in a grocery line when I felt a strong prompting to speak of spiritual matters with the young cashier waiting on me.  The young man put his “Lane Closed” sign up.  This was a confirmation that God was giving me the time I needed and to get on with it.  I had the typical struggle within me for about a minute and finally just jumped in.  After a few questions I had found out that this man had been in the military and had come from a church that had experienced corruption.  He was broken and told me he actually prayed for Jesus to leave him alone!  I allowed the Holy Spirit to take over and shared the Gospel with him.  He tried to laugh it off and we parted but I know that God had laid that opportunity at my feet and asked me, “So what are you going to do with this one?  This boy that I love?  Are you broken for him?”

Most of the time  when these opportunities arise my first reaction is a feeling of being fearful of my own inadequacy.  However, there is mighty power in God’s Word!  2 Timothy 1:7 reminds us that “For God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness but one of power, love and sound judgment.” HSCB

I feel as though it is time I acquire a new perspective.  This past week I had three different service opportunities that God presented to me.  At first I could feel my calendar overload screaming “absolutely not!  You can not handle one more thing.”  Thankfully I was able to tune in to the Holy Spirit who intervened in a calming tone and stated, “You just walk through it and I will handle the details.  Just be willing to show up and I will handle the rest.” 

Proverbs 3:5 tells us to, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” NIV  God is completely trust worthy, faithful and has allowed everything to work out perfectly.  As each item was completed I could see that God really was in the details of each moment.  I am not to fear the opportunities God presents to me.  I am to trust in His power to bring me through to His glory! 

Challenge – The next time you have a fearful feeling about following the prompting of God’s Holy Spirit remember that you have God’s power within you and that God has given you His Spirit of power, love and sound judgment.