One of my favorite movies to watch when I was in junior high was The Rookie (2002). It is the story of Jimmy Morris, a high school baseball coach who makes it to the major leagues and becomes the oldest MLB rookie ever. In the movie, there is a scene where Jimmy was doubting whether or not to actually try
out for the major leagues and pursue his life-long dream, or to stay in his hometown teaching high school science and coaching varsity baseball. To gain clarity, he asks the advice of his father. The response he got was a phrase I will never forget. He said, "Son, it is alright to be doing what you want to do until it is time to start doing what you were meant to do."
It is alright to be doing what I want to do until it is time to start doing what I was meant to do. This phrase has stuck with me ever since. Recently, however, it has been reverberating in my mind like a gong. I don't like to make major plans for my future often. But I had set a course in my life in one direction and God had a different plan. I was running a new cafe that had just opened and I was loving it when God decided that it was time for me to start doing what I was meant to do. He had plans for me to be in full-time ministry in the context of the local church. And though I had my sights set on full-time church ministry for a long time and I have trained extensively for this, it took a little bit of convincing for me to get on board with God's plan. I had my own plans! I wanted to keep doing something that I was good at! I wanted the security of the known! But God wanted to bless me and use me in amazing ways. So I caved in and let God have his way - which would have happened anyway, whether I wanted it or not. (He has this thing with getting his way in our lives.)
A lot of times, I think most people are like me. We like to keep doing things that we are comfortable with and that we know we are good at. And sometimes we pass up opportunities for greater things because we are scared of the unknown and the difficult. We don't like God to change our plans because we don't know how it will turn out. But Hebrews 11:6 reminds us that we are most pleasing to God, and thus the safest, when we are living by faith and seeking after him. In other words, God is really happy with you when you follow his lead even though you don't know what's going on!
out for the major leagues and pursue his life-long dream, or to stay in his hometown teaching high school science and coaching varsity baseball. To gain clarity, he asks the advice of his father. The response he got was a phrase I will never forget. He said, "Son, it is alright to be doing what you want to do until it is time to start doing what you were meant to do."It is alright to be doing what I want to do until it is time to start doing what I was meant to do. This phrase has stuck with me ever since. Recently, however, it has been reverberating in my mind like a gong. I don't like to make major plans for my future often. But I had set a course in my life in one direction and God had a different plan. I was running a new cafe that had just opened and I was loving it when God decided that it was time for me to start doing what I was meant to do. He had plans for me to be in full-time ministry in the context of the local church. And though I had my sights set on full-time church ministry for a long time and I have trained extensively for this, it took a little bit of convincing for me to get on board with God's plan. I had my own plans! I wanted to keep doing something that I was good at! I wanted the security of the known! But God wanted to bless me and use me in amazing ways. So I caved in and let God have his way - which would have happened anyway, whether I wanted it or not. (He has this thing with getting his way in our lives.)
A lot of times, I think most people are like me. We like to keep doing things that we are comfortable with and that we know we are good at. And sometimes we pass up opportunities for greater things because we are scared of the unknown and the difficult. We don't like God to change our plans because we don't know how it will turn out. But Hebrews 11:6 reminds us that we are most pleasing to God, and thus the safest, when we are living by faith and seeking after him. In other words, God is really happy with you when you follow his lead even though you don't know what's going on!
Are you allowing God to change your plans? And can you get excited for God to mess up "your life"?
What must you let go of in order for God to be on your hearts throne?
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