How to be still and wait on God
Do you ever find that God is telling you to be still when you feel like action is needed? That’s where I’m at right now. God is telling me to be still and my mind is screaming “but I need to take action!” If you read my previous faith based post you know I started this blog and craft business because it’s what God called me to do. I wrote about how terrifying it was to quit my job and start my own business and how it was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. I WAS WRONG!
There I was thinking “Lord, I’ve done what you asked me to do. Everything should just fall into place.” But that’s not what’s happening. Nothing in my business is falling into place, nothing is easy and nothing is going right. Have you been there? Are you there now? You’ve done what God asked of you so why is it still so hard? I’m right in the think of this struggle with you but my hope is that I can be of some encouragement to you. My hope is that I can help you worry less, fear less and trust God more.
The struggle is real
My struggle now is that it’s just not going the way I thought it would. I thought I’d be an instant success for sure since this was God’s will and all. He’d do the hard work and I’d just sit back and enjoy the ride. Let’s all just take a minute to laugh at that. When is it ever easy to do God’s work? As Christians we’re made to do good works, not easy works.
I had a sum of money set aside to get started and to cover the bills while I was in my startup phase so there really was nothing to stress or worry about. Well, that money is almost gone and I am more than worried and way more than stressed. I’m obsessed with what I’m going to do next to start pulling in some income. For just a little second I toyed with the idea of getting a job. I mean it makes sense. You need money, you get a job, right? So I prayed that God would lead me in the direction he wanted me to go. I was sure that there was the prefect job out there for me that would allow me to bring in some money while still working on my business. What is stressing you right now? What has God called on you for that you’re worried about?
Just be still
That’s when God put on the brakes. He told me to be still. Be still?? What on earth did that mean? Be still? God, surely you know I need to make money to support my family. This little business of mine is costing more than it’s making. How am I supposed to just be still? And then I remembered all the scripture I’ve learned. I’m meant to glorify God. My blog and business are meant to glorify God. If I go get a job and do everything within my power to make ends meet then there is no glory for God. That’s me doing things within my own power according to my own will. I need to be trusting in what God promised me so that when my business is a success it’s God that gets the glory. Whatever God is calling on you to do, focus on giving the glory to Him. Don’t stress about how YOU’RE going to benefit from it but rather look ahead at what God can do with it.
Just like last time I started to see a reoccurring theme in everything I was hearing and seeing. That theme was “be still”. I know God wants me to be still and I know that be still means don’t get a job. What I don’t know is how I’m going to pay the bills here shortly when the money I had saved up runs out. What I want is for God to give me a timeline and clear cut instructions to follow. I just want to know when my business will start being profitable. But God rarely give us the clear cut answer. That would take out the faith part. And well, you have to have faith.
God’s plan is better than yours
What answers are you looking for? Are you open to hearing the hard words of God? Are you open to hearing what He wants to tell you even if it’s not what you want to hear? Take a step back from your human cry of “God’s not answering my prayers”. Be still and listen and you’ll find that God probably is answering your prayer. He’s just not telling you what you want to hear because His plan is better than your plan.
Take a minute right now and say a little prayer with me. “Lord, please open my heart to hear your words. Please remove my human desire to control the situation and place in me the strength to wait on your Will and timing. Lord, please clear my mind of my own selfish wants and desires so that your words and Will may come with clarity and that I may know what is good and right.” This is the prayer I said this very morning before opening my bible to read.
Let’s just get into some scripture
Here is what I read. Galatian 5:19-21—“The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery, idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like…” The words selfish ambition literally flew off the page and slapped me in the face. I was being selfish where my business was concerned. I had gotten away from wanting to help people and focused more intently making money.
Galatians 6:8-10 – “Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction, whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” Basically God just said “Hey, get back to doing what I called you to do. Use your blog to help others and when the time is right you will see a profit.” My prayer had been “God, please tell me when” and God’s answer was “in due time”. I have to let that be enough. I don’t have all the answers but He does and He only has what’s best for me in mind.
So yes, God answers prayers
If you have any doubt that God answers prayer I hope that I just squashed it for you. God took me to the exact scripture that applied to my current situation and he told me exactly what to do. Plain and simple, God answers prayers if you are willing to hear his answer. It’s not easy getting out of your own way so that you can hear God. Trust me, I know. But you can do it if you’ll just pray and listen. I’m right there with you. I want to encourage you to comment and share your situation here with me. Maybe I’ll be able to help in some way and maybe I’ll just be able to pray. Either way, you’re not alone.