As busy moms, we often find ourselves juggling endless requests for our time…cookies for the bake sale at church, volunteering to read in the classroom, running the scoreboard at hockey…the list goes on and on. They’re all good opportunities- they’d all be a “good yes.” But they can’t all be our “best yes.”
I’ve spent some time paying attention to my yeses recently. Although well-intended, our “yes” to one thing can inadvertently negatively affect our “yes” to another. And here’s another thought: when we fill our calendar to the brim with well-meaning yeses, we don’t leave room to hear and obey the daily nudges God fills our heart with. When we take time to discern what our time and energy should go to by asking God where He wants us, not only will those yeses be blessed, they will also be fruitful. Suddenly, our saying “yes” to someone else’s request has become a blessing in our own life.
Lysa Terkeurst calls this an act of Godly Obedience: the desire to walk in the center of God’s will at every moment (What Happens When Women Say Yes to God Devotional). She goes on to explain that “saying yes to God isn’t about perfect performance, but instead perfect surrender to the Lord, day by day. Obedience is hearing from God, feeling His nudges, participating in His activity, and experiencing His blessings in ways few people ever do.”
A few of the ways I use to discern the best yes for myself and my family:
1) Quiet time with God every morning. Time to pray, journal, read devotions, read scripture and time to listen expectantly for God’s direction. When I do this, I can easily see when things are being presented to me repeatedly- that’s a sure sign to listen up!
2) When you’ve been presented with a request or opportunity, don’t answer right away. Take some time to make sure it doesn’t affect anything else. Ask yourself, will this feel like more of a burden than a blessing? Does this line up with what else I feel like God is speaking to me/ asking me to do?
3) Dive into some great books where the authors have taken the time to research and guide us in decision making that aligns with scripture. These three books, all by Lysa Terkeurst, have greatly guided me: The Best Yes, What Happens When Women Say Yes to God (workbook and daily devotional). Also, Called to Create by Jordan Raynor is an excellent reference in discerning God’s calling for your life.
I really want to be a “yes, Lord!” kind of girl. (Even if it changes the plans I’ve made for myself!) I want God’s plans to be my plans. I want to take the next step, in obedience, along this beautiful path He has laid out just for me. Like I talked about in my last post, we each have a divine mission….and it’s filled with daily divine appointments requiring our “Yes, Lord!”
I will close with a few more nourishing words from Lysa Terkeurst: “What is God calling you to say yes to? Don’t say yes out of obligation. Park your heart and mind in a place that will cultivate gratitude and a willing spirit- His word. God wants to bless you! Get excited about His will and the plans he has for you.” So, go ahead, sweet friend, say “YES, LORD!” and just watch those blessings pour in.
As we spend time talking about new beginnings, I think it’s important to note that what might be NEW for us (and requiring change), is the plan God had in mind for us all along. Before we were even born, He had “plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future,” Jeremiah 29:11. In fact, as Priscilla Shirer puts it in her book Radiant, we were created with a DIVINE MISSION in mind. Wow! I hope that makes you feel special…chosen and treasured. I hope that makes you realize just how loved you are.
On the flip side, it may also make you realize that you have no idea just what exactly that mission is. Priscilla suggests asking the Lord to open your eyes to your uniqueness and to the assignment that He has in mind for you. Make sure to spend some quiet time with God, praying, journaling, reading scripture. Its in these moments where He’ll reveal the most to you.
I love this affirmation that Priscilla included at the beginning of Part Two of Radiant:
“In Christ, I am fully, finally alive. I am chosen by God, accepted as His child, and forgiven of every sin. I am His daughter, and His light is not just behind me; His light is in me. This means I am not confined by my limitations. My weaknesses are not liabilities. Instead, as an accepted and surrendered child of God, my whole self is a platform for His glory to be displayed. I am who He says I am. I can do what He says I can do. In Him, I can become everything He says I can become.”
Did you catch that? YOU are a platform for God’s Glory to be displayed. That’s part of your DIVINE MISSION: to GLORIFY God! To glorify God means to “REFLECT HIS GREATNESS by revealing His characteristics to others,” Jordan Raynor, Called to Create. What you do and how you do it acts as a catalyst to spread God’s love. That’s big!!
I’ll share more about what Jordan has discovered as key questions to ask yourself when trying to discern God’s calling (i.e. Divine Mission!) in one of my next posts. Until then, check out Priscilla’s book, Radiant. Its full of encouraging, soul-searching information meant to help you realize just how “REMARKABLY and WONDEROUSLY” God has made you, Psalm 139:11.
“Do not fear change, for I am making you a NEW CREATION, with old things passing away and NEW THINGS continually on the horizon.” 2 Corinthians 5:17
When we seek, search, pray, and ask God for direction, His response isn’t always to just give us what we’re asking for. He might want us to learn something or change something along the way. But, fear not! He’s a patient God: He will give us all the chances we need to get it right. He’s a giving God: He will provide us with all of the tools we need. He’s a forgiving God: He won’t give up on us when we don’t respond in obedience to His callings. He’s a loving God: He wants the very best for us.
We have to be willing to make changes when it’s change we are asking for from God. As we learned in my last post, “He will never leave you or forsake you,” Joshua 1:5b and each every new day we are invited to take the next step. And when you feel unsure what that next step is, ask God to open your eyes. Most likely, His answer will come in the most unexpected way- but you will KNOW it’s from Him.
“When you cling to old ways and sameness, you resist my work within you. I want you to embrace all that I am doing in your life, finding security in Me alone.” Jesus Calling (Daily Devotion: February 17), Sarah Young.
I encourage you to take a deep breath and surrender yourself into the loving arms of our Father. He’s got big plans for you.
Recently, I’ve been hearing and seeing messages on re-occurring themes: Saying “Yes!” to God’s promptings, stepping out of my comfort zone and new beginnings. Hearing something over and over is a clear signal from God to listen up! And, trust me, if you miss it, He will remind you. In fact, each day we are given another chance to take the next step. So, feel encouraged…He’ll never give up on us.
In the past couple weeks, I’ve felt a nudging to talk about the process of making the best “yes.” We will forever be presented with opportunities, some will be a clear “no thank you,” some will be a good “yes,” but not all of those will be the RIGHT “yes” which God has intended as part of our specific path. More good news: He uses all things for good (Romans 8:28), so if you should choose the “wrong” yes, He’s sure to put it to good use AND present you with another opportunity to choose the one intended for you in the first place.
This past Sunday, we had a guest Pastor, Dr. Dan Scarrow, present a sermon titled “Standing at the Edge of your New Beginning.” It was this sermon, based on the teachings of Joshua 1-4, that convinced me to follow through with sharing all of the signs I’ve been receiving. I often find myself so excited to connect messages through journal entries and note taking…but I tend to hit a wall when it comes to figuring out the right way to share.
Dr. Scarrow said the following things that spoke to me as clear as a neon sign: “God is up to something very big in your life/ What’s God asking you to do?/ Each day we are invited to take the next step/ Your new beginning requires you to step out into the uncomfortable.” Whoa! All of the messages I’ve been receiving on repeat…in one message?! So, without further adieu, here is my first “yes:” to share what I’ve been hearing.
Throughout the book of Joshua, we are reminded over and over that God “will not leave you or forsake you,” Joshua 1:5. He tells us to “BE STRONG and COURAGEOUS,” Joshua 1:6 (in fact, He commands this four times in just the first chapter of Joshua!) Must be important, right?! When God asked Joshua to leave his comfort zone, Joshua simply replied “yes!”
Saying “yes” and taking the next step toward our new beginning requires a few thoughtful steps that will help ensure what we do next aligns with what God’s intentions are behind His request. Here’s what else I learned from Dr. Scarrow’s message:
1) We need to lay down our history when we are invited to do something new. (LET GO of our baggage, including past “no’s,” guilt, pain, etc).
2) Your new beginning requires you to step into the impossible…Pushing you out into the UNCOMFORTABLE.
For example, God split the Jordan River…during flood levels….for the Israelites to pass through safely, on dry ground!! Joshua 3:11-17.
3) Your new beginning might require a TANGIBLE REMINDER. We get busy, tired, life gets complicated…a visual helps remind us.
For me, its important to take notes. I keep one notebook where I have separate tabs for journaling, book notes, sermon notes and bible study notes….these notes allow me to “connect the dots.” If I didn’t keep these notes…the “aha” moments would be lost forever.
4) Your new beginning is not just about you. When you say YES, it IMPACTS all sorts of people.
5) When you step out into the new beginning, you’re announcing that God is LIVING and POWERFUL. It’s not our label as “Christian” that matters: It’s how we live.
“God did this so all people know the hand of the Lord is POWERFUL, that you may fear the Lord your God forever,” Joshua 4:24
Dr. Scarrow concluded his sermon with what gave me the best visual of all: “The path between who you are and who God wants you to be is paved with YESSES.” I don’t know about you, but I could certainly learn a lot from Joshua and the people of Israel. I want God’s best for me and my family…and that begins with a big fat “YES, I WILL!” on my part.
Check back with me, right here, as I spend some time sharing more tangible evidence God is using in my life. He’s definitely up to something, and for me, it begins with this. I encourage you to find some quiet time and ask yourself, “what’s God asking me to do?”
Some days you just need to bring your own sunshine! I hear January was the cloudiest month on record in MN since the 60’s…and it’s taking a toll on a lot of us. The the lack of sunshine really brings me down, too. There are some things I do that help distract from the gloomy skies and instead make me feel content and cozy.
So, I thought I’d share my thoughts:
*Start your day with some quiet time and God. A daily devotional, the Bible or some journaling.
*Light a candle or diffuse essential oils. Fragrances can trigger happy emotions our brain.
*Do something nice for someone else. (Don’t ignore the name or face that keeps popping in your mind…it’s a little nudging from God)
*Make something beautiful. Do a craft; discover a new hobby. Now’s then time to scroll through Pinterest and find something you’d like to try. Head on out to the craft supply store and pick up some supplies and get started. Put your things in a basket so it’s at your finger tips and ready to work on whenever you are.
*Make plans so you have things to look forward to. Coffee with a friend. Plan a weekend trip or spring vacation. Start planning a summer project like a new garden; sketch the design and pick out flowers.
*Organize something like a closet or bedroom. (You know you won’t want to be inside doing this in the summer!)
*Go all out when you rest: get super cozy- light a candle. Wrap up in a freshly laundered blanket. Binge on Netflix (and don’t feel guilty about it!) Have a hot cup of tea next to you and feel grateful for the time to rest.
These are just a few things I’ve found contentment through. Whatever you do, don’t isolate yourself. Talk about how you’re feeling. Because, friends, we’re in this together. Let’s lift one another up. And, on the super sunny bright side: you made through January!!
