The Easy Road

This past year has been one of intense learning, growing, and developing for me.  I have taken big risks in faith trusting that God would come through, and I have watched Him work miracles.  I am learning to communicate better with my friends and family.  However, probably the most significant thing that God has been doing in my life recently is helping me to develop confidence in who I am and encouraging me to develop my talents and skills.  I have spent my life hesitating on my long-term goals, taking risks in some areas, but only those that were short-term and a safe distance away from my core.  When it comes to believing and accepting the talents that I have been given by God, I have been afraid like the third servant in Matthew 25.  I hid my talent in the ground.

There are a few long-term goals I have, such as working with children, living on the mission field, and participating in orphan care somewhere in the world.  One long-term goal that God has been pressing on my heart for years is to be an author.  Some people write maybe a book or two in their lifetimes focused around certain events or tragedies that have occurred in their lives.  My calling, however, is more of a beckon toward a secondary career.  It is one that God will use in conjunction with whatever ministry job He has me doing in the world throughout my life.

Fear is an amazing thing, because it gives us an excuse to be lazy and watch our lives pass us by.  All we have to do is wait one more day...every day, and all of a sudden we realize that half our lives are gone and we had so much potential that we wasted.  I struggle to use the word potential, because it sounds so individualistic and anti-faith, but I am going to be bold and stand by it.  God has given us gifts and talents, and He is not the only One that has to do the work.  He doesn’t simply place a calling on our lives, wave His magic wand, and we are suddenly accomplished.  He entrusts us with something that we must nurture, cultivate, and work toward.  I can say with near absolute certainty that anyone who has ever tried to be an author will say that it is incredibly difficult and takes a lot of hard work.  In many ways I wonder if I am smart enough to do something like that, but I know that God would not call me to something that He won’t equip me to do.  I must trust Him to make me ready each step of the way.

The easy road would be to simply continue doing what I’m doing:  going to work and coming home and watching Netflix.  It is a simple life, and there is a certain contentment in simplicity.  However, I don’t want to live my life wondering “What if?”  What if I had actually done what I daydreamed about for years?  I would never know what I could have done because I never tried.  If I truly believe that anything is possible with God, and I understand that God is calling me to a certain purpose, then I must be capable of so much more than I think I am and I need to stop selling myself short.  God will not lead me anywhere that He will not see me through.  Psalm 138:8a says, “The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me.”  This is a promise.  I must be obedient in my response.

I am taking the leap.  I am putting myself out there.  God will determine the outcome.  Every day I will choose courage instead of fear.  I will work hard at what it is that God has placed in my hands.  With His strength, I will face each challenge as it comes.  I am going to be focusing heavily on my blog, and I have made a few inquiries with people I know who may be aware of writing opportunities.  I want to write on spiritual topics and assist ministries in their endeavors.  Looking at my writing, I see much room for improvement, and I need feedback from experienced writers and editors to help me develop my skills.  I need practice with a variety of different styles.  If you are reading this and you are aware of someone who would like to talk to me, please leave a comment on my blog, Twitter, or Facebook page.  I am looking forward to seeing what God will do.  I am excited about the relationships that will be made along the way.  I am choosing to abandon the easy road for the rocky one.  I believe it will be worth it.