Are you a planner? How do you respond when your plans are altered unexpectedly? For some of us the “anywhere” part of The Life Commitment is challenging because it invites God to move us into potentially uncomfortable places. Do you trust God to follow him anywhere, even when you can’t see where he’s going?
Read Acts 16:1-15.
Luke wrote the book of Acts, a history of the early believers who lived shortly after Jesus Christ had died, risen again, and ascended to Heaven. One man whose life had been radically changed by an encounter with Christ was the Apostle Paul. Paul (formerly called Saul) had persecuted those who followed Jesus Christ, but now he was a sold-out follower of Christ.
In Acts 16, Paul came to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer. Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him. They went on their way throughout the cities of the area. The result was “the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily” (Acts 16:5).
As Paul, Silas and Timothy travelled, they listened closely to the Holy Spirit. More than once, they headed toward a city only to be told that it was not the right place. They kept moving until God spoke to Paul in a dream and told him where to go. We can observe a couple of key behaviors:
- They expected to hear from God.
- When God spoke, they were quick to obey.
- They were willing to start walking before God had told them all the details.
When you pray about your plans, do you ask God for his guidance and direction first or do you pray, “God please help this to work. Help me to be successful?”
It is an act of faith to be fully available to God – willing to be interrupted or redirected; happy to serve God even if that means cancelled plans, or delays, or going the long way around. Are you willing to set aside your carefully laid plans if God closes one door and calls for you to enter another?
Take some time to really think through each of the questions below. Type your answers in the spaces provided and you’ll be connected to a mentor who will write back to you. You can ask your mentor anything and you can be sure that they will be praying for you throughout this series.