Step Boldly by Karma Pratt

I am often reminded that God doesn't call the equipped, he equips the called. How thankful I am for that! I realize I have created many of my own challenges by walking through life saying, "Who? Me?!?" every time God calls. I often feel like Moses at the site of the burning bush.

 Moses asked, "Who am I that I should go?"

The response: And God said, "I will be with you." (Exodus 3:11-12)

There was no question that Moses needed to go; God was ready and willing to do the heavy lifting, and would give Moses everything he needed for the journey. I imagine Moses wondering, "Who on earth am I to lead this charge?" And God patiently nudging, "Who are you not to?"

My own journey took a turn into the unknown just over a year ago when I had the great nerve to ask God what debts I owed.

The response: "You owe me your life."

Deep breath. Take courage, dear heart. 

"What does that look like?"

"Quit your job. Follow me. Write the words I give you." 

Deeper breath. Keep breathing. You are loved, beloved. Your Jesus wouldn't ask you to do something he wouldn't be willing to walk through himself. 

Gulp.

So, that was that. All the dreams that God had placed in my heart many years ago, all the snippets of hope he had gently wrapped in tissue and tied with ribbon, all the moments of clarity, came blazing into the light and I started down a new path. (You can read about that journey into entrepreneurship in a previous post.)

The past year has been one of great courage: trial and error, stepping, stumbling, falling, getting back up again. I heard an inspirational speaker, Ian Green, once say that Christians can't fail; they can only learn how not to do things. 😉 I've learned a lot of the best ways to not do things over the past year!

Through it all, God has remained steadfast. He continues to provide opportunities for me to grow as a steward in his kingdom, all the while helping to support my family. He has taught me that it's his timing, not mine, that I must defer to in every circumstance. He has shown me that it is my job to take the first step, to step boldly, and - when occasion warrants - to wait on the Lord.

And I've learned a thing or two about waiting on the Lord. I have always assumed that waiting on the Lord meant I needed to sit back and wait for the next step, the next directive, the next nudge. I've recently learned another perspective: to wait on the Lord is to serve him, serve his holy purpose in your life.

Wait on the Lord. Wait, as in, serve. Cultivate a servant's heart.

Focus on the task at hand, but never forget that the purpose in doing the work is to wait on the Lord.

Mind. Blown. (well, mine was anyway) 

Can you imagine? If we approached every task, every to-do, every word written as an act of service to God, how great would his love and light shine in our lives? If we said, "YES!" boldly, convicted in our faith that God is with us, how much of an impact would our Christ-centred lives have on the world around us? 

Just like Moses, we can lead and be led. We can make it through the wilderness. Because God said, "I will be with you."

Karma Pratt is a faith-driven mom of twins, a communicator, a writer, and an encourager from way back. She offers professional writing and editing services at redraincoatcreations.com.