One day, a man and three of his friends went out to
hunt. Even though they were all there
for the same purpose, each of them had different goals in mind. This became evident quickly.
After setting up a camp, the group began to walk towards the
field. The first friend stopped and
thought, “You know, I am not sure that I can get anything today, and since I
was in a hurry this morning and forgot to eat and pack food, I am awfully
hungry. I do remember on the way in that
there was a deer on the side of the road… I can eat it now and not have to
wait!” With that, the man decided to
stop and go back to the road. The other
three continued thinking that his quick fix was a bad idea… if it is too easy
to access there is usually a good reason.
As they continued, the group of three bumped into another
group who was talking about going after a mountain lion. The second friend became overwhelmed by the
visions of grandeur of catching an illusive animal. When his two comrades were thinking that it
was crazy and not worth pursuing, he left with the other group claiming that
his original group will be sorry. He did
not think that hunting a mountain lion was out of his league and experience.
That left two men.
They found a nice perch and waited.
And waited. The third friend
became impatient and jumpy, and decided to start shooting at ANYTHING… and I
mean, anything. Squirrels. Birds. Mice.
Anything. He soon exhausted his
ammunition and in the process scared any living creature away due to the racket
that he was causing. The man did not
give his third friend his extra ammunition because he knew that he might need
it later. Therefore, the third friend
left with his odd assortment of worthless animals.
So the man was left alone.
Though he was disappointed that all of his friends left, he knew that if
he got off of the field and quit, then he wasted all of his time. He waited patiently, and a few rabbits and
other animals came into sight. Knowing
that they would not meet his needs, he let them pass. Finally, a deer came into sight and he took
it down. Patience paid off.
When he returned to camp, he found his three friends. The one that ate road kill was very
sick. The one who went mountain lion
hunting was empty handed. The man who
shot at everything realized that in his haste he had nothing to show for his
trip.
So what did this teach me?
If you are pursuing God’s will and whatever you come across
is “road kill” (too easy to obtain), you have to be careful and wonder why it
was so easy to obtain. Whether it is a
relationship, a job, or a ministry, I have found that in my life that “free” or
“easy” comes with baggage and it often times leads to heartaches or headaches. This is why I have learned to be diligent and
not just do something because it is easy and accessible.
If you are trying to figure out if it is God’s will, be sure
that it is not your own delusion getting in the way. Like the mountain lion, some dreams are
exactly that... dreams. It could happen,
but putting all of your hope in a hard to obtain goal could leave you
disappointed and sometimes disillusioned.
This is why I have what I call my “board of trustees” or "board of directors", which is a group
of older Christians who pray for me, ask the right questions, keep me
accountable, and provide Godly wisdom so that I can make the right decisions.
When we are waiting for God, it is important not to run
after every opportunity that comes our way.
I have learned to turn down jobs, ministries, and relationships that could
be good… but not what I feel God wants.
I am slowly learning how the Holy Spirit speaks to me in those moments,
and I am learning to rely on the peace that surpasses all understanding rather
than deal with the restlessness that ensues outside of God’s Will. Also, I do my best to test the Spirits so
that I know that the goal I am pursing is not a deception, but it is of God.
The man who got his prize waited patiently. I am learning to be that man, and I hope that
those of your who are reading try to be that man as well. When I listen to my older friends, they
rarely say, “wow, I really regret being so patient for God’s will!” Instead, they usually say, “Yeah, I had to
wait and it was a little uncomfortable, but I would do the same thing again
because it was right.” It can be tough, but it is worth it.
I know that a lot of you feel as if you are at a cross roads
right now and are sort of stuck on trying to figure out what God’s will for you
is. As someone that is learning to go through this, I hope that this helps:
Be Patient: It is better to wait than to make an impulsive
decision you will regret the rest of your life. Wait for him to tell you something, and then test it to make sure that he is saying it.
Ask: James writes,
“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all
without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” Don’t be afraid to ask God, and then talk to people
who will be trustees rather than critics.
Make a Move: If you
don’t put your resume out, employers won’t know you are looking for a job. If you wait for dream date to come to your doorstep,
it will end up being the mailman, UPS guy, and the Jehovah’s witnesses. Therefore, standing still gets you nowhere. You need to make a move, but moving carefully is the key.
Simply put, all of the great stories in the Bible involve
making a major move after God’s prompting.
If you want to enjoy your story and allow other people to enjoy your
story, you have to make a calculated move after God’s prompting. I don't know about you, but when I tell my story to people I don't want to bore them to sleep!
My challenge to you is to wait on the good things that God has for you and not to settle for something second rate. I hope to hear some good stories from you guys! Until then, have a great week and God Bless you!
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