God, What Do You Want Me To Do?

"God, what do you want me to do with this life you've given me?
What should I be doing in such a time as this?
Do some introspection?
Be of some assistance to You or others?"

Have you ever asked God those questions and kept pushing for answers? I was recently doing some thinking, not realizing that He doesn't always tell us directly what to do, but He first shows us who we ought be as men and women. And I recalled a book I read a few years ago by Ken Graves called Master. Mission. Mate.

The book is centered around three themes:

1. Getting to know God (our Master)

2. Finding out what is your mission

3. Then pursuing a mate, if it's God's will for you

I'll summarize the book for you and share a few of my thoughts.

Firstly, very often in life, we pursue a thing or person instead of God. We get our priorities mixed up by chasing a person or success and we leave God out of the equation. But what we're meant to actually do is seek Him first (Matthew 6:33). Find out what makes His heart beat. Get to know our Father, our creator well. Then find out what He likes, dislikes and what is His Will. By doing this we build a friendship and let it grow. And the more time we spend with Him, the more we find out who we're meant to be as His children.

Secondly, as we get to know our Master better, He continues to work on us. He orders our steps because He's a better planner than you and I, put together. And He gives us a life goal (a mission), a purpose, something we can work towards. That is ways we can build the Kingdom. See, we are each given a task to complete here on earth. They vary from the fivefold ministries (apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers) and consist of spiritual gifts (Romans 12:6-8 and 1 Corinthians 12). But what I've realized is that before we take on our mission, we have to be prepared. We have to learn how to manage gifts. Find out how to use them and when to use them. During this period, He will give us small tasks before we recieve bigger tasks. He strengthens us. He gives us knowledge and power, showing us how to use them. And then, we undergo a season where we are taught different things before we can actually teach others. We will also have waiting seasons where we must wait on Him. So, He works on our character, our mind and our hearts. Teaching us how to submit and surrender our will. And that is how we become an asset and not a liability. Keeping in mind that we may have to die to our selfish ways at times and preoccupy ourselves with the things of God. It's not always fun getting your hands dirty, but it's necessary when He sends us to our mission field. To serve His purpose.

And thirdly, the pursuit of a mate is the last agenda.  For your mate, future spouse should be running in the same direction as you. By that I mean that your future spouse should be running after God and the things of God. If that is not the case, then you have a problem. And if I can give you some helpful advice, know that you don't have to go looking for him ladies, he should find you. Remember the scripture a man who FINDS a wife finds a treasure (Proverbs 18:22). It's right in the Bible! So you don't have to compromise certain standards, especially your faith and purity. Let a godly man with good character lead you (if it's God's Will) and let things unravel layer by layer as you get to know each other. Make sure you share the same beliefs, values and have friends who can keep you accountable for your actions. And that you both possess self control - boundaries are good as you develop and strengthen the friendship. Keeping in mind the importance of refraining from physical intimacy. Boundaries are there to guard us, help us grow and mature. So don't rush things! During courtship, time should also be used to obtain financial stability, see if educational goals are met so that the relationship won't be a stumbling block. These are just a few things to consider prior to tying the knot. And they will determine whether you're both ready for marriage. A special and sacred covenant with God.

In my walk with God, I feel like I'm still on the second phase. Growing and bearing fruit as a believer and not withering away. But I see the importance of Him chiseling away the unnecessary parts of me, so He can fulfil His purpose for me on Earth (Psalm 57:2). The Holy Spirit recently reminded me of that... and that we won't be judged according to what we did in life but by what we were CALLED to do. Emphasis on called! Many times we think it is tied to what we're good at but that isn't always the case.

*Can I just make an interjection right here before we go any further*
Ok!

Years ago, I thought that 'call' meant becoming a clinical psychologist as it would allow me to help others heal and illustrate how to cast down burdens they were carrying. Help them move forward. I loved the idea. I liked listening to others and assisting them in any way I could. And maybe, while I was on that path, I didn't really enquire with God to see if that's what He wants. I didn't take note that I was pursuing the wrong dream. I might have been disillusioned for a while. But it's only after some doors were being shut that I realized God wanted me to do something else. During that time, I didn't know what to do with a closed door. I probably stood still in a passage for a while until I had to lay that dream down and ask that His Will be done in my life. It wasn't easy but necessary. I grieved for a while. Not realising the He wanted me to turn my attention to something else. Try another door.

But now I see that if I continued to pursue something other than His Will, I would have had to give an account for it.

Psychology seemed like a good profession, but I failed to consider that God might not want me in that field. Because I was so in love with the idea, I kept wanting to go back since the other things didn't make sense to me. Not realizing that if I continued down that path, I too, would have had to give an account on Judgement Day for my stewardship and not walking in His purpose for me. Yet, if I paused and sought Him earnestly. Heard Him when He spoke. Followed Him and obeyed, I knew I would later be rewarded for doing what He wants me to be.

I'm not sure if you've a planner or like being prepared like me. But God has shown me over and over again that He doesn't do things the way we want him to. He has plans of His own and they take priority. Sometimes God doesn't answer our questions the way we'd expect. His ways don't make sense in the moment. But He does still offer us the wisdom to do what He wants us to do, so we can get to where He us to go and do His Will. He makes pivotal moves in our lives.

And can I tell you something else?

I expected 'a calling' to be something imprinted on me so I would know exactly what I'm meant to do with this life I was given. I didn't realize that when we rest in Him, quiet down, God speaks to us. And reading through 1 Samuel 3, I realized that Samuel too didn't mentally get what God called him to do. It comforted me to know that I'm not the only one in the world, not always fully comprehending the call. But what has stood out to me is that when I don't fully grasp and understand the call, I can continue to serve Him anyway and carry out His purpose for my life. And when God wants to get our attention He repeats things to get a messge across to us. He calls us again and again. He confirms His Word. And after we hear Him and really listen, then we can position ourselves to do what He calls.

At times He requires us to be more than one thing. He wants us to be prayer warriors. Ministers. Encouragers. Nurturers or listeners. Leaders. Givers. Friends. Mothers. Sisters. Teachers. Wives. The list goes on.

Will you avail yourself to Him and use what is in you (in your hand?

Note to self:

Putting pressure on oneself to figure things out doesn't make things better. Instead, we are to depend on His Will. Look at what He's given us. A gift or talent isn't a mistake. God doesn't just throw them in the air and see which one we catch. He intentionally gives us something to develop and use. Working on this post, I realized that I want the spirit of the Lord to stir me up. I want to see things from His eyes, not in grey as I have been. I want Him to propel me forward when He says I'm ready, and hold me back when it's not His Will or time.

- Mel