Jack of All Trades
Sometimes I have questions, occasionally for God. I was recently scrolling through the Notes app on my phone and noticed one note titled “Questions for God”. Curious as to what I had written, I clicked open the note.
On June 2, 2020 I had added the following questions for God:
- How do you decide who is born when and where?
- What was it like when Satan rebelled?
- Does life exist elsewhere or only on earth?
- Are carbs and sugars really bad for us?
Clearly this was during my “Keto Food Choice” stage of life!! Excluding the question regarding carbs and sugar, I am guessing these are somewhat the same unanswerable questions many of us would like to ask of God.
There are two other questions that have plagued me on and off for many years. These are different and I long for answers. They are two seemingly simple questions:
- What insight from God am I missing?
- What am I do be doing differently?
I know the Bible has many answers. One might say this quote sums it all up. It is, after all, how Jesus answered when He was asked which commandment is the greatest. His wise response was, ”’You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.The second is equally important: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” No other commandment is greater than these.’” Mark 12:30-31
Simple enough, right?
Well, maybe not.
The Bible also tells us, “‘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
Here’s where I can get stuck, if He knows the plan, why is it so perplexing for me to figure it out?
Recently I was challenged by a friend to “up my game” with a group I was leading. There is only a handful of people in the group and I am looking for more team members. The suggestion was to expand the scope, commit to a small group meeting schedule and grow the skillset of the team members. It was a delightful idea. I loved it.
Most days, however, I feel I am like the old saying, “Jack of all trades, master of none.” I serve in several very distinct areas with a moderate level of talent and time commitment to each but I am not top notch. I am not leading the charge in any of the areas. I question my qualification and my own skillset. At the same time I also suffer from FOMO (the fear of missing out) and want to be involved in yet more areas.
If God knows the plan for me:
- What insight am I missing?
- What am I do be doing differently?
These questions continue to linger.
What is it for you? Do you have questions? Do you ever wonder if you are following the plan He has for you?
Seeking God’s plan is a challenge and often nerve racking. As we take up our cross everyday and follow Him, we trust that He’s “got this” as we pray for, watch for and seek His guidance as we feel promptings of the Holy Spirit. Those times when HIs peace is flowing and His joy is bursting, we know we have hit a home run in following “the plan”. Then there are the other times when peace and joy elude us.
The amazing thing about God, is that as we do our best to follow and draw close to Him, His love abounds for us. It never changes and it never ends. And for this promise we can give thanks as we find these encouraging words in I Chronicles 16:34 where we read:
“Give thanks to the Lord because He is good, because His faithful love endures forever.”
When my seemingly simple questions persist or your questions swirl in your head, we can remind ourselves to trust in His never-ending love for us as we continue to seek His plan for our lives.
He does know.
He will guide us.
JW