It was my typical morning race against time. I had a few more things on my to-do list to get done before work. That’s when it happened. Just as I was laser focused on my list, a friend’s name broke my thoughts and popped into my mind, again. It was the third time in as many days that she popped into my mind.
I really did intend to text her after each of the other two, but both times I was in the middle of something and simply forgot. I was in the middle of something today too, but this time the nudge felt a bit more urgent. I decided to press pause on my to-do list and drop her a quick note. Rather than just send a text, I found a picture of a flower and wrote a note on the image ‘God loves you.’ Somehow I felt like that was the right response to today’s nudge. Her instant response was far more than I expected. She texted that she’d been having a tough few days. The message was exactly what she needed. Realizing how the note met her right where she was, blessed me too by allowing me see God’s faithfulness to her in her current situation.
Perhaps it was no coincidence that I had just finished listening to a message about needing to pay attention or we might miss our turn to be used by God. In my haste, I easily could have missed this opportunity.
Missing an opportunity to be used is easy. If you want to avoid finding your purpose or don’t want to be used to make a difference, do one or several of these:
- Minimize the need or importance of what you’re nudged to do. – Telling yourself that it wouldn’t matter or would be insignificant will push you into apathy rather than action. If you don’t want to be used by God, believe that little things don’t make a difference.
- Disqualify yourselves or what you have to offer. – If you believe the lie that you’re unqualified or that what you have to offer can’t make an impact, you may be tempted to skip the opportunity right in front of you. Ignore that fact that God will never give you a purpose that he doesn’t prepare you for.
- Listen to your voice over God’s whisper – Allow your internal chatter to focus on your to-do list and ignore any and all nudges to show compassion or help to others. Ignore nudges that will compel you to make a difference.
- Focus on what you can’t do, not on what God can do through you. We all have limitations. If you remind yourself of yours, you’ll focus on what you can’t do and forget how God is capable of so much more.
- Refuse to recognize the many ways He shows up faithfully and mightily. If you don’t notice God moving in your life and the lives of those around you, you may be tempted to forget his faithfulness. Ignore reminders such as how he touched my friend just when she needed the encouragement most. Caution – being grateful and observant will make it harder to ignore his faithfulness.
It is easy to fall into the traps offered by any of the items on the above list and miss a chance to do something beyond our capabilities. God doesn’t need us to figure everything out, but instead prompts us to follow his nudging. He’s got the timing and details already figured out. Don’t be surprised if you tune your heart to his whisper that he may interrupt your to-do list. But if you’re like me, you’ll be glad that he did!
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And, why not join the conversation here…Have you ever missed your turn because of one of these traps? Or, have you done the opposite and been blessed to be used? I’d love to hear from you!
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