Everything seems terrible right now. People are suffering, losing their jobs, weddings are being canceled, work is being canceled, and maybe they’re not sure how they will make it.
Today I’m speaking to all the moms out there that are unexpectedly homeschooling their kids. I’m talking to all the people that are now working from home or have even been laid off. I’m talking to everyone whose wedding has just been postponed, whose next project has just been put on hold, or had to cancel an event they were working really hard on. I’m talking to photographers, business owners, and creative entrepreneurs.
Could God be using this as a gift in your life? Think about it… Could God be giving you more time together? More time to silence the noise and realize the importance of quiet? For me, I’ve been living in a bubble. I get up, I maybe have a short quiet time, I get to work and think about my plans for the day, then it’s time for dinner, then we have to clean up, then before you know it it’s 10PM and you haven’t even said that much to my husband. What if this is an opportunity for you to reconnect with your spouse or kids?
Maybe God is giving you the opportunity for more self-reflection. And in that self-reflection, what will you find? All of your plans have just been shattered. You might say, “my wedding was just postponed. How could that be a gift?” or “I don’t have a way to pay the bills, how could that be a gift?” Let’s talk about Romans 8:28. For those who love him, God works all things together for our good. But the thing is, our definition of good is not what He’s after. He wants us to look more like Jesus. That’s what good looks like. Maybe God wants to teach you to be kinder to your spouse, kinder to your kids, to just listen for a minute instead of thinking about yourself.
So often, we think of “good” as the outcome that we hope will happen, or that somehow someway God will give is something even better than we could have imagined. But that’s not always it. John Piper said, “God is always doing 10,000 things in your life, and you may only be aware of three of them.” God is doing so much more than we can see!!
Maybe he’s been trying to get your attention all along. I know he’s doing that to me. He wants me to wake up, to stop wasting time, to refine my calling, to pursue my passion. Could he be doing that for you? Maybe you can think about what you really want in life. What you really want your legacy to be. Maybe you can even think about a career shift to do the most important work.
What if this is an opportunity to pull you away from things that don’t matter? Could you have been clinging too tightly on money? Fame? Success? Your dreams? Your comfortable life? Luke 14:26 says, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple.” That means, we are to love Jesus so much, that all other loves look like hate in comparison. How does your life stack up against that?
Proverbs 23:4-5 says, “Do not wear yourself out to get rich; do not trust your own cleverness. Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle.” People all over the world are losing money. If you are holding on to money and it goes away, what are you left with? I know I have been clinging too tightly to money. Could that be you right now?
What if this is an opportunity to draw you to Jesus? Money doesn’t matter. Fame Facebook and Instagram don’t matter. We are sold the lie that pursuing our passion will make us happy. But as soon as we advance, there’s more to be advanced. There is a better way.
I know how I would have felt if my wedding had just been canceled. Maybe don’t listen to this now, because maybe it’s too much for you right now. And that’s okay. God works through the pain. He carries us through the pain. Sometimes it’s a slow process.
But when you’re ready, ask yourself, “Do I love Jesus more than your wedding plans?’ Or maybe for you it’s, “Do I love Jesus more than I want to have sex?”
Elisabeth Elliot said this in her book, Keep a Quiet Heart, “Heaven is not here, it’s There. If we were given all we wanted here, our hearts would settle for this world rather than the next. God is forever luring us up and away from this one, wooing us to Himself and His still invisible Kingdom, where we will certainly find what we so keenly long for.” Could God simply be trying to draw you to him? To pull you away from the things of this world that don’t matter?
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
I am using this time to cast a vision, to do what matters, and to love others fully. Will you join me?
