I don’t know anyone who likes to be pushed into something that they don’t want to do or feel uncomfortable doing. The truth is, though, that sometimes we need a little push to do some of the things we “ought” to do. In my case, it was a big push – a big push by a force I knew better than to resist. In reading the first books of the Old Testament lately, I’ve been reminded that the consequences of not listening to and obeying God can be quite fearful. While it is true that God gives people free will – it’s another thing to be prepared to face the consequences of that free will.
It’s kind of interesting to me to see a lot of people who are in the place I was many years ago – not knowing what to do with my life, holding a college degree which didn’t guarantee me a job, facing an economy where my odds of being hired were not too great. So where was God in all of this? What did He want me to do with my life? My first year of college was not an easy one – not knowing what to major in I thought that business was a wise choice. After all, wouldn’t God want me to make a lot of money so I could give back more to Him? Wrong – what God wanted from me was to shut up and let Him show me what He wanted. What God wanted was for me to quit trying to figure out the big picture and let Him lead me to the next step. After dealing with the consequences of some pretty bad grades I did manage to figure that out. So after I finally decided to submit and listen (by that time I was actually graduating!) I figured out that what God wanted was for me to serve Him by serving others (yes, that is what I learned in four and a half years of college!) After dancing around that idea for awhile I realized that He was pushing me to become a Salvation Army officer.
I never tell anyone that I was called to be a S.A. officer because I wasn’t – I was pushed! But lest you misunderstand me no person pushed me into this – it was God Himself. It was the idea that kept popping into my brain when all the other ones faded away, it was the sense that this was the one thing that God wanted from me, it was the knowledge that my life would not be totally right if I didn’t do this. I tell you this because everything in my life prepared me to be an officer and everything in my life did not prepare me to be an officer. And it has been one extraordinary journey – much more amazing than I ever thought (and I thought I knew what to expect). The truth is that following God’s plan for our lives, (or just taking a step in the direction we are pushed…as was my case…) is never the wrong thing. What is wrong is not being submissive, being audacious enough to think that we truly know what is best for our lives.
And even though a Salvation Army officer is what I am – it is not who I am. I am a child of God (saved by His grace and mercy) who serves God through the Salvation Army. I don’t know what God calls (or pushes) each Christian to do. But I know that there is danger in not doing it. On the other hand, there are amazing surprises when we do!
“We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps.” Proverbs 16:9 (NLT)
Youth Department