Do Exactly What He Tells You To Do
What does God ask of us in our Christian life? How much of pursuing our calling is our part and how much of it is God's part?
When Jesus called His first followers, he gave them a story they would never forget:
"One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets.
He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”
Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.
When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.
I've been realizing over the past few years that I don't want to come to God with my plans anymore. If you asked, I could write up a 10 year business plan for strategy and growth in about 5 minutes, but I've realized that my plans are not as great as His plans.
It doesn't mean I'm not planning anymore, it just means that I'm far more focused on walking closely with God, and my greatest desire is to fall in love with the will of God and obedience to His leadings in my life. Ultimately, what I'm trying to do could be summed up as: stay close, and do exactly what He tells you to do.
Right now, we sense God's leading in our ministry towards several God-sized projects over the coming two years, but that is all. After these, we have no agenda, other than the next directions God gives.
We are praying regularly for many things, and we have dreams and ideas, but we know from experience to hold these loosely and joyfully in the hands of a God who has bigger and more wonderful plans than ours.
As in the lives of the first followers of Jesus, amazing and impossible things happen when we are close enough to hear God's advice, and when we do exactly what He tells us to do.
