Seeking God’s Will

Posted in Community No Comments

Do we have room for Gods plan in our lives or is our plan so big in the picture that we do not let God in? Is God just along for the ride? Is he just a passenger? “Because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me” (John 5:30).

My wife and I started truly seeking God for His path to be fulfilled in our lives about 5 years ago. It seemed at first as though we were getting nothing from Him.  But we did what was in front of us, children’s ministry, youth ministry, serving wherever we could, but never getting the sense that God was calling us to these specific ministries. I think we were looking for this grandiose plan with all the details of our lives.  Unbeknownst to us as we served he was preparing us for our path. Slowly God had been revealing to us where he is taking us, little by little, bit by bit and I finally realized that I will not know the fulfillment of his path until he returns or I leave this temporal life.

“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord,’ plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV)

One Sunday, actually Mother’s Day, I felt strongly that God was calling us to go to Mexico and open an orphanage. I told my wife that we were moving to Mexico. We needed to sell the house and go. Well, there was a lot more involved with that. But I kept pushing forward to move, tried selling the house but was not able to, and that was when the market was good. I realized that God had really changed my heart. The house we lived in was my dream house. I had said many times that it was where we would retire. God was asking us if we were willing to give it all up. Leaving family, friends, security, God wanted us to know if we were all in or not, He knew the answer, but we didn’t until then. Matthew 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

So in the mean time we started making monthly trips down to Ensenada to a church and community that God had really put on our hearts. After sometime and wondering why things were not working out, we realized that maybe for now God was not calling us to move but to make regular trips and still live in Simi. We took the house off the market. Well, the house just across the street sells for the same price we were asking just shortly after that. As we got to know the new neighbors they told us they would have much rather have bought our house, but did not know we were selling it. Isn’t that crazy! So for now we are supporting and developing relationships with our new family in Ensenada and seeing where God will take it. People have often questioned us about going there and our safety and how it must be such a burden. Quite honestly it is a joy for us to go, because God is doing it through us.

Hebrews 13:5-6: Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”] So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”

As we look to God for our plans and directions, instead of ourselves it allows us to be the vessels. Rather than us picking up the vessel, we let God pick us up and use us. The plan that God has called us to becomes so much easier,

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

I have never been one that truly loves people. I love those I like and my family but beyond that not so much. I have actually questioned if I was saved or not because I did not have compassion for others.  I would try so hard to love them out of my own willpower. God has been changing that. I decided to come clean with God, like he didn’t already know. But I just told Him that I don’t love people with the love that He has for us. I started seeking God and fervently asking that the Holy Spirit would give me that compassion.  God has been changing my heart. I see people differently now, well most of the time. I am reminded daily that it is God doing it and not my own selfish love. But as I live in the spirit, (communion with God), he softens my heart and when I don’t, I see my heart getting hard again.

We have been having gatherings at our house for 7 months or so now. At first we would be ready for people to come to our home but not really knowing if anyone would show up or not. People did eventually start showing up. We started to get to know the story of their lives. They became another family to us, being open and honest with each other and our struggles, truly getting to know each other. Now it was not an immediate thing. As we took the step of just inviting people into our home and opened our lives as they did with us, God has put each one of them in our hearts and have made them truly part of our family. We weep with each other and experience joy with each other, eat together, we celebrate new births, support each other through difficult times, deaths, sickness and surgeries, people helping each other with their yards, moving and helping out financially. God has allowed us to have those that care for us and those that we care for.

Acts 2:42-47: They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

I say all of this to remind us that we need to stop doing things on our own strength and wisdom and start seeking after God, asking for the Holy Spirit to fill us with God’s direction for our lives. That he would give us the power, His Love and His wisdom to go and do. “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:” (Philippians 1:6)

by: Michael Cook