Pending: Great Adventures On Your Horizon
I love traveling by airplane. Not just because I love the feel of the takeoff and the excitement that comes with heading towards a new unexplored destination- the beginning of a new adventure. More than that, I love the feeling of being still and alone in the middle of a bustling airport. As I watch people rushing to catch their flights headed to every destination imaginable, I am reminded that I am just one tiny piece of this deep unfathomable mystery of life created by God. And the crazy thing is, while I am just one person in the middle of thousands of people each with their own purposes, stories, and lives, I am not insignificant. Jesus sees me, speaks to me, and has a purpose just for me.
One time, I was sitting in the airport, and I realized that each person there had the ability to have the most amazing, interesting, joy-filled life. All they needed to do was start listening to the Holy Spirit and following His direction for their lives. I pictured God’s voice like a radio channel. Each person has access to a unique channel made specifically for him or her. Many do not know God or that this channel between God and man exists. Some know God but have not learned to tune their radios to their specific channels. Still others have driven out of range of their channels and the connection for hearing God’s voice has grown fuzzy and staticky. Nevertheless, our individual radio channels are always playing, and God is just waiting for us to tune into His voice.
God has a unique identity for each one of us, and there are many verses in the Bible that talk about spiritual gifts. 1 Corinthians 12: 4-6 says, “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.” In ALL men! Everyone has access to a unique identity in Christ! Verse 11 of 1 Corinthians 12 states regarding examples of different spiritual gifts, “All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.”
If we are willing, God will reveal the unique identities He has set apart for us, and He will allow us access to the specific spiritual gifts He has given us. However, our identities are only available to us in Christ. When we are resting in Him, listening to Him, and following His directions, we will have unexplainable joy because we will be exactly where God wants us to be. We will also have contentment no matter where we are or what we are doing because it will be God-led and God-orchestrated.
When I think about this, I get so excited. What an amazing adventure God has in store for each one of us if we are willing to listen to His voice! Yes, this adventure will not always be easy or comfortable. 1 Peter 4:10-11 says, “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms… so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.” Our identities are not about us. They will require the giving of ourselves and the breaking of our selfish desires so that Jesus may receive all the Glory. However, there is a supernatural, ethereal joy that only comes when we are doing exactly what God calls us to do and in the process, giving Him all the praise and the glory. That joy is worth all the pain and hardships we may endure when we are living in our identities in Christ.
It has been several months since I sat in the airport and had the revelation about everyone having the ability to have the most interesting, fulfilling lives. So, you may be wondering, “How is your life going, Bethany? Have you gone on some crazy, God-led adventures? Have you been living out your identity in Christ and finding that unexplainable joy from Him?” My answer would be yes and no. Yes, when you are resting in Christ and choosing to lean on Him and give Him control, all of life is a God-led adventure. God knows my identity better than I do because it is from Him, and in Him, and through Him. He knows how everything is going to work out, and He knows how I am fulfilling my purpose through my identity in Christ.
However, He also gives us periods of waiting.
It was frankly annoying because I went on this trip in January where I felt like I was doing exactly what God wanted me to do, and I felt God’s joy carrying me the entire time. Then He gave me the revelation watching the people in the airport, and I got really excited about God’s plan for my life. But when I returned home, God said, “No. Now you are going to wait.”
I wish I could tell you the walk with Jesus is always easy and exciting. A lot of times when people tell their stories, it is after everything has been resolved, and they can tell about how God came through in the end. Most of the time, we don’t hear about the in-between times. The waiting and praying. The trying to trust and be patient but wanting to give up because it feels like God isn’t there anymore. All of us have dealt and will deal with many periods of waiting in our lives whether it be waiting on direction for the future, waiting for healing, waiting for a future spouse, etc.
I wish I could tell you about how inspiring my life is - how I am always following His directions and living out my identity in Him. However, for several months now, the main thing I hear Jesus say to me is “Wait.”
It is hard to wait on God. I can trust for a few days, but when days turn into weeks and months, I begin doubting more than trusting. There were jobs I could have accepted, or others that I could have applied for. Maybe I should just jump into school, or would it be so terrible if I “settled” just so I’d be doing something for the time being?
Here are some things I’ve learned in the waiting:
Keep talking to God and listening for His voice throughout the waiting. He wants to speak to us. He is always speaking to us. He may not answer the question, “Why am I waiting?”, but He does want to answer the question, “What can I learn in this time of waiting?”
Be proactive in the waiting. Waiting doesn’t mean sitting around doing nothing. Keep taking little steps during your waiting. Love people, serve people, apply for jobs or research opportunities even if they may not turn out to be your next steps, etc. Maybe one of the small steps you take will lead you down the path out of the waiting and on to your next big adventure.
Hold on to hope in the waiting. God has an amazing plan for you! He does not intend for you to wait forever. Somehow, whatever steps we take, whatever choices we make, they will always work out in His ultimate purpose. Even if we mess up, even if we get fed up with waiting and we jump into an opportunity that we aren’t sure if God was pointing us towards, He is still sovereign and working it all out for good so that He may receive all the honor and the praise and the glory.
So hang in there, my friend! Hold on through the waiting. God has an amazing adventure for you if you are willing to wait for it. He is also merciful and gentle when we mess up, and no matter where you are in life, it is never too late to begin listening to His voice and living out the identity to which He has called you.
