By Josh Kerby
Do you ever feel like you are stuck in a rut? You aren’t sure where you’re going or what you’re doing in life? I feel that way a lot. Sometimes it feels like I am just floating along not doing much. Other times it seems like what I am doing isn’t changing anything. These thoughts and times can get us down. They affect us in strange ways. I think God has us go through these times to teach us something. What do we do when God has us waiting? How can we find God’s purpose in these seemingly mundane portions of our lives?
I was talking with another guide recently. We had just gotten off of a few weeklong trips, and we were discussing how it felt like we didn’t make any significant impacts in any of the students’ lives. These trips felt like the mundane, the rut, and we couldn’t crawl out. We discussed that even though it didn’t seem like we made any big impacts, we actually did. These impacts may be unseen. The impacts may take a couple of weeks to settle in. We determined that we only watered the students those weeks and that water is essential to their growth.
When this weight of feeling unproductive pulls us down, remember what the Bible says. 1 Peter 1:8 says this, “For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” If Christ is in you and you are in the word, learning and seeking Him, you won’t be ineffective. If we keep our eyes on Christ, we will never be unfruitful, even when it feels like we are.
So what do we do when it feels like we just don’t have direction? When we know God wants us to do something, but can’t figure it out? Again, continue to seek God.
“Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.” –Psalm 25:4-5
“Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” –Psalm 27:14
I think sometimes God just has us waiting. He wants us to continue to seek him and ask Him for direction. We have to be patient. We know nothing about God’s perfect timing. He will direct us in the precise moment when He needs us to move. He just asks us to wait patiently with open ears and open hearts.
“He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names.” -Psalm 147:4
God has you right where you are for a specific reason. He continues to work through you even when we can’t see it. If He determines the number of stars and calls them by name, He has certainly determined that He needs you right where you are. “Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.” Luke 12:7. God knows the hairs on your head and values you so much. He will not leave you nor forsake you. Just remember to seek God in everything you do. Continue to seek Him for direction. He will guide your every step at the exact moment He needs you to move. Don’t become stagnant. Don’t lose heart. God has you in His arms.
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