I Want To Be Where You Are...

Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me (Luke, 9:23, NIV).

     Have you ever been in a season where God is calling you to a place that pushes you so far out of your comfort zone that you’re looking around like now wait a minute…we’re doing what in this season?!? If you haven’t, walk this Christian walk out just a little while longer and I can guarantee that answer will eventually become a yes. Perhaps, He has shown you specifically what it is that He needs you to do but because He hasn’t given you the formula, or steps a through z, of how it’s going to work out, you’re still trying to figure out if it’s really Him. You’re trying to make sense of it and reason yourself out of it because to you, it just doesn’t make sense. You’ve probably received confirmation on three different occasions and in five different languages but you’re still waiting for Him to send you a sign just to be sure. You have all the questions of how, why, what, when, why again, where, why again…and wait what? Maybe even fear has crept in and led you to believe that it can’t be done, you’re not cut out for the task that you’ve been assigned, or it’s simply just too hard. 

   ​Can we talk? Can we have a serious heart to heart? I have quite the avoidant personality type. I’m the type of person that if I have a lot to do or if I’m feeling overwhelmed, I tend to go into shut down mode and just put off dealing with it until I absolutely have to. It’s gotten a little better as I’ve gotten older as I’m convinced that the closer you get to 30, everything just gets better, right? Right! Any who, if I can be honest, which is what we’re here for, this issue flows over into my spiritual life as well at times. Sometimes I avoid having quiet time to hear from the Lord or to deal with my stuff because I’m anxious about it. I’ve found myself struggling with fear and anxiousness over the last couple of weeks as God has been showing me different things that just seemed like too much. I’ve wanted to run from it and escape the thought of it because some of the vision seemed too grand, some just didn’t make sense, and some I just wanted to say no to. When I finally sat before the Lord for some real unfiltered, candid, messy, lay it all out time, it got really real.
 
                                                                              God, I’m scared.
 
     Those were the first words I said when I got quiet before the Lord. I had already been avoiding the inevitable so there was no point in trying to talk a bunch of fluff to get to where we were going to inevitably end up anyways. It’s perfectly okay and necessary to cut to the chase and start with the real. Sometimes we can feel like we have to pretty up our issues or present them in a way that makes us feel better about things we’ve disregarded. Especially when we’re in a position where we know better and should do better. Here’s the reality, I know the Bible tells us that God has not given us a spirit of fear (2 Timothy 1:7) however, I was afraid and there was no point in me trying to downplay that or sugarcoat it. Although I have the knowledge of this scripture, somewhere there was a disconnect which I needed to acknowledge in order to deal with it. In doing so, I read Psalm 56:3, “But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in You” (NLT). If fear is keeping you from pursuing the things that God has promised/spoken over your life, I want to ask you the same question I had to ask myself: knowing what Psalm 56:3 says, who or what have I put my trust in? Ask yourself do you trust more in your ability to fail, then who God is? Are you trusting your pattern with disappointment and let downs more than trusting that God has created a path and gone before you? Are you trusting the opinions and recommendations of others who say not right now, that doesn’t make sense, or why would you do that? God is trustworthy, especially with His promises, so cast not only your cares but also your fears on Him.
 
             Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you (1 Peter 5:7, NLT).
 
     That also includes what He’s requiring of you in this season. The things that don’t make sense, the things that make you question if you even really heard God…all of that. Something I’m learning in this season is that wherever God is, that is where I want to be. Even if it doesn’t look the way I want it to or thought that it would…

                                                                I want to be where You are.
 
     I love For Your Glory by Tasha Cobbs. No, seriously! It is one of few songs that no matter how many times I listen to it, it can bring me to tears almost instantly. It just gets my entire life together in about seven minutes. I was listening to a live version of it recently and during the vamp where she sings “I want to be where You are,” she said, “even if it makes me uncomfortable.” If what God is requiring of you takes you out of your comfortable place, will you still give Him a yes? Are you willing to be where He is even if it requires a sacrifice on your behalf that is greater than anything that has been required of you before? If where He is leading you pushes you so far out of your comfort zone that you have no control and you have no choice but to cling so tightly to Him, are you willing to go there? If where He is requires you to quit the job, break off the relationship, leave the friendship, pack up and leave your family, or something that is near and dear to you…will you trust Him and obey? It’s easy to just sing the song, right? What happens when it becomes more than just a song and He requires some things that requires you to make difficult decisions?  Are you really willing to do anything for His glory, just to see Him, and be where He is? Trust and believe that wherever it is that He is leading you, there’s purpose there and He will meet you there.
 
     I just want to encourage you to trust Him in this season. Don’t allow what you see or don’t see to drain your confidence in the promises and instruction that God gave you. He’s so for you and He hasn’t left you to figure everything out by yourself now. The same God who was with you before, is the same One delighting in leading and guiding your footsteps now. Surrender your will to Him and He will provide you with clarity and instruction as He leads you into this new season.
 
Love you dearly and as always, Stay Classy, Keep It Holy!
 
Angel Walston