Inspiration, Revelation, and ramblings of that nature.

I've been trying to write another song ever since break started. Every time I go to start writing, however, I give up almost immediately because I just wasn't "inspired" at that time. Same goes for when I try to write a paper or a blog post: I go to write it, and then I give up too easily because I wasn't "inspired."

I've come to realize that it's not just me that deals with this. And certainly not just with writing.

I have a good friend of mine who I talked to a few nights ago via Skype. We were talking about what was going on in our lives right now and what God's been teaching us. She brought up a very good point. The conversation went about something like this:

"God's been telling me that I need to stay put at my house," she said.
I was confused. "Stay put? How so?"
She continued. "Well, He's just been telling me that I need to be here at home and not do anything major until He tells me what to do next."
"Really? Do you want to?"
"Well, no, that's just it. I want to be doing something with my life besides being at home. But God told me that I needed to stay put, and He's teaching me to be content with what He tells me to do."
"What else do you want to do besides be at home? And why do you feel like He wants you at home instead of doing something else?"
"Well... I tried to start a Bible study/seminar for young women, and I knew God didn't want me to, but I did it anyway, and it ended in disaster, and I had to apologize to all these people."
"Do you still want to do something like that?"
"Well, yes, but in God's timing."
That was a valid answer. "Is there anything else you want to be doing right now?"

She went on to tell me about how she wanted to at least get a job besides teaching piano lessons (which were taught at her house) but that she felt she couldn't turn any of the applications in that she had filled out because she was sure that God told her not to.

Finally, I gave her some verses to look up for encouragement, and we ended the conversation.

Before I go on, I'm not saying that God can't reveal Himself to us in places besides the Bible. But honestly, if you want to hear His voice, it's definitely going to come through Scripture.

I think too often, people have a desire to do something specific with their lives or want to find "the one" but they're either too scared/worried that it won't line up with God's will because they don't want to mess up, or they're just too lazy deep down because they didn't hear God tell them to do it, etc. I think we get too caught up in trying to do what God wants us each specifically to do and end up making ourselves sick over it, when really, there are only a few things that the Bible actually commands that we all do.

1. Fear God and keep His commandments (Ecclesiastes 12:13)

2. Love God & your neighbor (Matt. 22:37-40)

3. Love & pray for your enemies (Matt. 5:44)

I think that as long as it doesn't go against any of those things, and against anything else the Bible may say, you can do whatever you want to do with your life. If you want to change the world by being a fireman, go for it. If you want to record CD's that give hope to people, then do it. If you want to teach little kids, do it. If you just want to be a stay-at-home wife & mom, do it by all means! All of these things are honorable. If you have a boyfriend/girlfriend and if you are both believers, love each other, and want to, then get married! 1 Cor. 10:31 even says, "So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." I don't think it's wrong to think about and want to do what God wants for you; I think that's what you SHOULD be doing! However, we have made it into the ultimate excuse not to move forward in our lives, for all of the reasons that I mentioned earlier.

Being too scared is a part of human nature. I understand that. But look at Matt. 6:25, 27.

"Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? . . . And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?" Being worried or scared will get you nowhere. If you don't try, you'll be in the same place that you're in now.

If something falls apart, I don't think that means you shouldn't try to do anything else. It may be God's way of directing you somewhere else, somewhere better. That happened to me this semester at JBU. I tried out for chapel band and didn't make it, I tried out for a play and didn't make that either, and the list goes on. Then, I tried out for The Next Big Thing, and finally made it! Looking back, if I had made chapel band, I wouldn't have time to prepare for the Next Big Thing. If I had made the play, I most certainly wouldn't have been able to put time into preparing for the Next Big Thing. I wouldn't be able to lead the book study that I'm going to lead this semester either if I had made any of those other things.

There's an old saying that goes, "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again." I believe we have the liberty in Christ to do just that.

So, breathe a deep sigh of relief, take another deep breath, and go out & glorify God with whatever you do in life.