When the Assignment Changes
Several weeks ago, after a wonderful lunch with a dear friend, I felt lead to offer to meet with her to read/study/discuss the Bible. So I extended the offer and she was open to it. Then things changed and it became a group of four women, from different churches with a written Bible study plan by Lisa Toney. Meeting one-on-one versus a group of women meeting and setting the topic for a Bible study. Both are wonderful things right? God is glorified and people grow in the Word. Yet the larger Bible study wasn’t what I was led to do but I pressed on as we met to set up a weekly schedule and I volunteered to purchase the leader copy of the study. My thought was that we could pass the book on each week and a new person could lead the following study. All the while I’m praying because something wasn’t sitting right in my spirit.
One of the hardest things to unlearn as a human when you choose to follow Jesus, is not acting on our feelings.
ACTING ON FEELINGS
Begins with “I feel…”
Changes with emotions or circumstances
Often seeks relief, comfort, validation, or control
Can by driven by fear, excitement, guilt or desire
Frequently demands immediate action
Leaves confusion when feelings shift
CHRIST-LED DISCERNMENT
Begins with “Lord, what are You saying?”
Remains steady even when emotions change.
Seeks obedience, love, and God’s glory.
Is rooted in Scripture and the Holy Spirit’s leading.
Can wait patiently for God’s timing.
Produces increasing peace, even if the path is difficult.
Discernment is the Holy Spirit helping us distinguish between what merely seems right and what actually is right. In this situation it meant asking the Lord if this was still what He was asking me to do. The result was moving on, dropping off the study book and believing that God will do great things for each of the ladies that continue on with the study. It’s very easy to get caught up in the feeling that “Oh no, things have changed, this isn’t what I wanted.” But it’s not about what we want. It’s about God’s plan and how He’ll execute it. Did God change His mind and pull me away from it? No.
God doesn’t change His mind.
But sometimes people change the assignment.
After much prayer and noticing that scheduling conflicts arose, I bowed out filled with peace. I’m reminded of the parable of the Sower in Matthew 13. Not directly about how seeds fall and which seeds grow, but in relation to us as sowers of Gospel. We step into what God calls us to do out of obedience, reverence and love. We may be used to share the Gospel with someone, but that doesn’t mean we’ll see the end of the story. Some sow, some water, some prune, some harvest. All Jesus wants us to do is be willing to go, to do and be joyful as we do it.
So I pray for the little Bible study and thank God for what He’ll do with it and for those 3 women. As for me and the one-on-one that didn’t happen?
Another one-on-one happened this week that blessed me immensely, but that’s a story for the next blog post. Stay tuned.
Peace,
B
