Motivation Monday - Stay Focused Where God Has Called You
As we step out where God has called us, we often experience opposition. Years ago God placed a burden on my heart to run a half-day retreat at my church. The night before the event, I was running through the order of the day when another leader caught me off guard saying, “it sounds like it’s the Jaclyn show.” I felt like I was punched in the gut. With tears in my eyes I asked my husband, “Is that true?” He knew my heart and assured me it wasn’t. I went to bed in peace knowing I may be misunderstood by others, but strengthened in my conviction that I was called by God.
I awoke the next morning to a text from this same leader, apologizing, stating that the Holy Spirit had woken her in the middle of the night, convicting her of her accusation. I felt immediate relief even though it stung. I could’t let the offence plant a seed. I had been called to lead.
David experienced being misunderstood as he stepped forward to fight Goliath. As he was making his way towards the battle, his brother, Eliab, began to accuse him, “I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle.” 1 Samuel 17:28
And sometimes when we step forward to lead, others may feel that way about us. Maybe we were chosen for a role they wanted. Whatever the reason, leadership is a vulnerable experience. It opens us up to criticism and speculation. And to be honest, those are the reasons many of us shy away from stepping out at all. It’s easier to play it safe and stick with the status quo than to be misunderstood, or worse, rejected.
David, however, was on assignment. First, he was obedient to the request of his earthly father to supply a practical need. Isn’t that often the way God calls us? To be the solution to a very humble problem. And then, God will often ask us to step out in a bigger way, a more intimidating way. A way that displays His glory as there’s no way we could accomplish the task on our own.
Years following that half day local retreat, I found myself running a 3-night much larger retreat in an off the grid location. I sat there wondering how in the world I had gotten myself in that position. I didn’t feel qualified. Accusation this time arrived internally. If the enemy can’t get someone else to try and throw us off course, he will try to take us out from within. The truth is, I wasn’t qualified to run that large retreat. But I was called, and I was obedient. When we say yes to the nudge He puts in our heart, God takes care of the outcomes. We can’t always control how we are received, but we can take ownership for how we lead.
- Jaclyn Weidner