“He answered, ‘I don’t want to,’ but later he changed his mind and went.” —Matthew 21:29
In college, Shannon Etter spent a summer in Papua New Guinea, where she questioned what she thought was God’s call on her life to be a missionary. Living in huts and using an outhouse took the shine off this childhood dream. She could stomach the idea of doing it short-term but not permanently.
Years later, God challenged her to rethink her reluctance. “All the reasons you’ve told me for changing your mind aren’t godly reasons,” a friend told her. “You need to ask Him what He wants to do with your life. And whatever He tells you, trust Him for the strength to be obedient.”
Perhaps you’ve pushed aside a calling from God, out of fear of inconvenience or a desire for a different direction. Though the original opportunity may have passed by, remember that God’s will isn’t so much tied to a place or a position as to the condition of your heart. God cannot bless the fearful or willful choices of your past, but He can—and will—bless a repentant heart.
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The Quiet Place: Daily Devotional Readings ©2012 Nancy Leigh DeMoss
Scripture taken from The CSB
Make it Personal
Have you been resisting God’s leading? Ask Him what He wants to do with your life, then trust Him for the strength to be obedient.