I am often asked what the hardest part of my job as a Real Estate Appraiser is. With my tongue in cheek, but speaking from actual experience, I will respond, "finding the house."
I am well-prepared to find houses. In fact, there were so many maps in my car, that it became a fire hazard! (I’m now thankful for GPS.) Even with all my maps and GPS systems sometimes I still cannot find the house without calling the owner from my car and saying, " I am here. How do I get to where you are?" Most of the time, the problem is that there is no number on the mailbox.
True callings from God give us clear directions to follow. God is not going to call us toward what He wants for us, only to leave the "number off the mailbox." The frustration for us comes when God decides to dole out only a portion of the directions. God will say, "you are here; I want you there. When you get there, I will tell you where to go next." Notice how God calls Moses to bring His people out of Egypt.
Exodus 3:10 So now I am sending you to the king of Egypt. Go! Bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt! (NCV)
Our problem is that like Moses, we want all the directions and details at once. If the complete set of directions is not lain out before us, sometimes we give up hope and lose faith in God. We wonder why God abandoned us, when in fact we have abandoned Him. I would never find some of the houses to appraise if I did not simply call the owner for more directions. When we are feeling lost along the way in our lives, we have a direct line to God, through prayer. Don't forget that God always wants what is best for us. He always wants us to ask Him for directions. I fear arriving in Heaven and hearing God saying, "David, I was waiting to give you the last part of the directions, but you never asked."
So, how do we apply this to our lives? How do we know if our direction is from God or from our own desires? Test the call. Get your toes wet. I have had people tell me, "I think God is calling me out of the secular marketplace and into a job with a Christian organization." I will always say, "great, test the waters by doing a little volunteer work in the field. Send out some résumés and seek counsel from others that work in that arena."
If you are moving in the direction that God has called you, He will continue to move you in that direction. Where God guides, God will provide.
Do you have a call to make today?
Father, You are God. You are in control and in command, no matter what comes our way. You, and You only, have clear directions for our lives. Help us to be sensitive to those directions. Forgive us for doubting Your wisdom and Your guidance. Show us the way, Lord. In Jesus' name, Amen.
David