When Life ChangesSample

 When God Says, “Stay” 

Have you been feeling bored and uninspired, twiddling your thumbs and waiting for God to say, “Go”? Waiting for Him to call you to something new and exciting? I want to go for it for God, but first He needs to change my circumstances. . . . 

Consider this: Maybe God has already said, “Go!” Maybe He said, “Go,” long ago when He put you in your current situation—but you got there and never really went. Your body arrived, but your heart stayed somewhere else. As soon as you got there, you pulled up an armchair and put up your feet. Got comfortable. A bit complacent. Perhaps God’s message to you is, “Stay put, but get going!” Sometimes it’s not our circumstances that need to change—it is we who need changing.

God always wants us to move forward, but that forward motion often happens right where we are, in the life we already have, among people we already know.  

Sometimes God tells us to go and stay.

Go back to an old place with a new attitude.

Show His grace to our family.

Share His love with our neighbors.

Go deep.

Love hard.

Grow strong.

Serving God isn’t always loud and dramatic and full of transition; most of the time, it’s quiet. It’s humble. It’s simple. And it’s hard work.

Because let’s remember, we already have an inspiring call from God! Already and always. We are all called: 

o to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Luke 10:27).

o to love our neighbor as ourselves (Luke 10:27).

o to love as Christ loved us (John 13:34).

o to be a city set on a hill (Matthew 5:13–16).

And all of those callings we can answer—we can fulfill—wherever we are right now:

· In a dead-end job we don’t enjoy.

· In a family situation that’s not ideal.

· In a town we’d love to escape.

· In a church full of imperfect people.

God may be calling you to stay home, but staying home doesn’t mean staying the same. Even if He is calling you to stay, He is still calling you to move forward: Go deep. Love hard. Grow strong. . .right where you are.