LESSONS FROM LEANING IN CLOSE

These days, I have been  p r a y i n g,  and  w a i t i n g,  and  l e a n i n g  in to listen for God’s wisdom over a specific thing. And, as I’m writing this, I’m still right there in the middle of all that. Here are some things I know to be true in this moment.

• Sometimes, when you’re placed in a holding pattern, it’s more for the benefit of someone or something else than it is for your own.
• When you receive push-back in ministry, it does not necessarily mean that you have misheard or misjudged the direction of God or the prompting of the Spirit. There are a million reasons why we receive push-back in ministry, but they are always because God is at work accomplishing something greater. Something more sweet and more important than if things had gone the easy way. So, thank Him for the push-back — even when it’s  frustrating — because something better is coming. (And, it likely won’t look like what you think, but that’s another blog post…)
• You don’t have to be right all the time. It’s hard to be bent on being right and remain humble. The Bible has a lot to say about pride…and there is never room for it in our hearts. We have to learn to hate it like He does. I love the link in the verse below between humility and wisdom.

“When pride comes, then comes dishonor, but with the humble is wisdom.” Proverbs 11:2, ESV

“As long as you are proud you cannot know God. A proud man is always looking down on things and people: and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you.” C.S. Lewis

So, my hope is that this will encourage you, should you find yourself in a similar place of pressing in to discern His wisdom. He will give it, freely and fully in His perfect timing. When you’re tempted to doubt, remember what you know is true from His Word. He is with you and He is for you.