Calling Us Higher

I wouldn’t have driven over an hour out of my way to hike this trail if the view wasn’t going to be worth it. Similarly, I think part of what makes trusting God hard for us is the reality that we can’t tangibly know where God’s plan will take us. We don’t get an outline, or a map to clearly affirm that our efforts of following Jesus will get us where we want to go in life. Instead, we’re simply called to trust Him by following in the footsteps of His Son to the best of our abilities. 

Since the beginning of time, the enemy has been trying to get us all to doubt God’s plan for our lives and in this fallen world has succeeded in doing so. He’s really good at getting us to falter in our faith, make decisions we aren’t proud of, and develop habits that we never saw coming. That’s why some of my favorite things to ask God for in prayer are to heighten my discernment, and fear of the Lord.

A pastor writes, “The key to living an uncompromising life lies in one's ability to exercise discernment in every area of his or her life.” We need discernment so that every decision we make can be done in wisdom. We also need the fear of the Lord so that we don’t abuse the grace God freely gives. If we truly fear God, because of the all-powerful, just, and loving God that He is, our reverence to Him will make it easier for us to obey His commandments and live a life unbound by sin.

If only we never failed to believe that God has our best interest in mind, then nothing would seem like a sacrifice and all doubt would diminish, making it a whole lot easier for us to wholeheartedly commit to His ways. But, then again, if we already knew God’s plans for our lives we wouldn’t need that key thing called faith! Thankfully, God gives us Scripture so that we can familiarize ourselves with His character and verses we can cling to to help defeat doubt and continue walking with Him in confidence. 

While our human perspectives don’t allow us to see how our lives will unfold, we can trust that following Jesus will provide us access to joy and purpose amidst every circumstance because it says so in His Word (Rom. 15:13). Following Him undivided, with our whole heart, will surely prove to exceed our expectations and lead us to a place of greater fulfillment (Ps. 145:18-20, Prov. 8:17-19). A place worth, the time and energy it took to get there, the detours, the bumps in the road that maybe caused you to trip up every now and again.

At the end of our lives, we’ll be able to look back and see how high we’ve climbed, and how far we’ve come. All thanks to the gentle guidance from a God who is so gracefully patient with us, even in the midst of doubt. The road less traveled is not the easiest, but surely the most rewarding.