Recent events have made having to address where is God taking us (and me) an unavoidable and extended meditation - for weeks - if not months.
Let me provide some context and background, though. Last night, I had the privilege of meeting with college students from Elizabethtown, KY. This theme came up - again! This time, though, the emphasis was on the challenging practice of discernment.
Discernment isn't about guessing where God wants to place you or how He wants to use you. Discernment isn't divination. Discernment is more about dedicating oneself to trusting God. See, discernment is one of those "words" that if not handled with care, it will surely become all things to all people.
For some, discernment is about "seeing" where God is leading them. For others, it is "listening" to God for directions as to where He is leading and taking them. And yet for another group, it may be a question of "obeying" God. I believe God can call us - so we should listen. I believe God can reveal His plan for our lives and ministries - so we should have eyes to see. As for obeying, we only need to live in the Word and we will come to see that listening to the words of the scriptures with our hearts compels us to live in steadfast obedience - out of love and fear of the LORD.
One brother shared his plan to evangelize those he came into contact with in Miami. Another student mentioned how he expected to come and build things while on his mission trip to South Florida. In the natural, they didn't do either. The one with evangelism laying heavy on his heart didn't get to talk to anyone about Christ. He prayed over someone and did all sorts of chores at the agencies he was serving at. The other student felt idle at times as he was told to slow down and not rush through the tasks - once again menial - he was expected to complete.
I can sound cliché and that's fine, but the fact IS that they both had their hearts' desires met. They couldn't see that they were enacting the Gospel, so they both evangelized. They couldn't see that their completed tasks, possibly going unnoticed in the middle of the melee typical of major urban homeless ministries at local shelters, was, in fact, noticed by the One for whom they did serve the least of these. To find peace and purpose in this truth is the practice of discernment. It is the practice of removing our agenda from the Master's table so that we can truly embrace His pleasure and will.
Discernment is distilling our thoughts, attitudes and intentions so that a separation can between that of the Spirit and that of flesh can take place. We discard that which is of the flesh and live in what is of the Spirit. With the eyes of our heart, we can see, we can listen, we can obey and we can discern in with the steadfast confidence that what our Lord desires for us is all that we need, all that we should desire and all we should live to be and do.
So, where is God taking us? The location doesn't matter. It never did - and it never will. His company is all that matters - forevermore.
Lead on LORD . . . lead on.
