Get Out Of That Hole!

But the servant who received the one bag of silver dug a hole in the ground and hid the master’s money. Matthew 25:18 (NLT)

Do you ever feel like this guy? You have been given something to do and you are 100% positive you can't do it. The one thing you are really, really sure of is the knot in your stomach and the fear that follows you around telling you that you are not qualified to do the thing God has given you to do.

I have been there. And there are still days that I feel this way. It makes you stop in your tracks and become unable to move forward, no matter how much you want to. Those voices that whisper to you of failure....they really are crippling.....as long as you listen to them.

And there, my friend, is where you have a choice. The man in the parable of the talents made his choice. He buried the cause of his fear and walked away. You don't have to do that. You can turn to God and tell him about your fear and ask him for courage. You can turn to the Bible and read his promises. You can strengthen yourself by remember the amazing things he has done in the past.

And then, after you remember who gave you the assignment; that he is all powerful and that he promises never to leave you for forsake you; then you can dig up what you buried and take a step forward. 

Don't kick yourself for being afraid. Fear is normal. But don't be like the man who buried his life with his fear. Recognize it for what it is and ask God to give you strength. He has great plans for you but he can't fulfill them with you hiding in a hole.

And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. Philippians 1:6

Recalculating

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.  Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT)

“In one thousand feet, turn right and your destination will be on the left.” Have you ever missed that turn? Maybe you missed an exit or you have been driving the wrong way for ten whole minutes. Oops. It happens, and God gets it. Maybe you were driving too fast, or you thought were taking a shortcut.

God’s plans are similar to a GPS guiding us to our destination. We punch in the address—happiness, fulfillment, and peace. He knows the best route and gets us started. Sometimes in life, we miss a turn, just like we miss an opportunity from God. Other times, we are in the fast lane towards a different destination, such as, instant gratification. Occasionally, we ignore the GPS and use our own judgement to create a new route.

Even though we can’t see what God has planned, he is right. We don’t know that He is rerouting us to avoid life traffic, like a career not suited for us. We don’t know that he is taking us away from a car wreck, like people with bad intentions. It might even seem like God is steering us in the opposite way! How frustrating!

Here’s the thing. Just like a GPS computer, God collects more data than we can. Be assured, God wants you to reach your destination, and will never stop working. He sees the big picture when we can’t. You can ignore your GPS, but it will keep rerouting you. Even when we ignore God, he keeps redirecting us.

Proverbs 3:5,6- Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.

If you trust your God GPS, you will always be led down the right path—no matter how many wrong turns you take.