To Lovingly Obey
Sometimes I think God teaches us to obey Him with the small stuff, so He can prepare us to obey Him with the big stuff. Obeying can be tough. As humans, we often get caught up on what we want out of life. What can God give me? Why can’t I have just this one thing? Our flesh makes it about us, but it’s not about us. We must continually remember that what God asks of us is always for our good. His plans are not always our plans, but they are always good, right, and just.
Years ago, one of my friends set me up on a blind date. One thing my loved ones knew about me is that I never enjoyed dating. It was hard for me to put myself out there, and I tended to analyze things quite a bit. I liked to have pretty much everything figured out prior to going through with it. Needless to say, I didn’t want to go. My blind date also lived about four hours away from me, so right off the bat, it wasn’t looking too good; however, I felt this pull that I should go, so I went. The date was with a group of my friends, so I ended up being more at ease and enjoyed myself. Unfortunately, the enjoyment came more from hanging out with my friends than the actual date. Long story short, once the weekend ended, my date reached out and mentioned getting together again. Although I absolutely dreaded doing so, I told him I appreciated the offer and was glad to have met him, but I wasn’t interested in going on another date with him. I am an avid believer in dating honorably. It’s what God always led me to do. Although it’s not fun rejecting someone, I knew it was much better to be honest than to ignore someone and leave them wondering.
The way of the Lord isn’t always easy. There are times when dating isn’t always fun. But I believe when we do it God’s way, He leads us right where we hope to be. Did I enjoy telling my date I wasn’t interested in dating him? Absolutely not, but what if doing so led him to his next step in meeting his future spouse? Let us remember that sometimes obeying God isn’t always about us, but can be for the sake and love of others.
Shortly after, I found myself questioning what was the point of that date. Why did God prompt me to go if it didn’t lead me to meeting my future husband? This made no sense to me. Why would He put me through that if it didn’t lead to what I wanted? Ah, the flesh. Fast forward to a few days later, I was out walking my dog, and my next door neighbor randomly asked if I had been home the weekend prior. I told him I had been away. He began to share with me that he was robbed that specific weekend. The trespasser entered his apartment and locked him and his dog in the bathroom. The man took all that he wanted, and left. Thankfully, my neighbor and his dog remained safe and were able to call the police after. I could not believe what I was hearing. What if I had been home then? What if I hadn’t followed God and gone on that blind date?
We must learn to lovingly obey God, regardless if His direction does not match up with ours. We must remind ourselves that even when an outcome isn’t exactly what we want, even when we can’t quite see the goodness we’re hoping for in that moment, He is working everything out for our good. Little did I know, a few months after that blind date, I would be meeting my future spouse. Each step we take in the right direction is leading us to God’s goodness. We may not understand today, tomorrow, or next year, but it will make sense in time. God is in control, and if we follow His will, He will lead us to our greatest desires.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9
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Justine Kaiser is a graduate of Indiana University with a B.S. in Radiation Therapy. She is currently living in Fort Wayne, Indiana working as a radiation therapist at a local hospital. Justine is a devoted aunt who loves to travel, bake and keep up with her Yorkie pup, Leo. She believes that through sharing our life stories, we can encourage each other to be the person God created us to be. Go Hoosiers!
