Stay Focused In God's Will, not Your Will

“They answered Him, “Allow us to sit at your right and at your left in your glory.”  Jesus said to them, “You don’t know what you’re asking...” Mark 10:37-38 ~CSB

In this text, James and John ask Jesus for the chance to sit next to Him in heaven.  Clearly with Jesus’ reaction the two are asking for a couple of 'seats' that are way beyond their reach.  Jesus tells them in verse 40 that those seats are not His to give.  James and John were aspiring for positions that were possibly meant for others, clearly thinking of themselves.

On our journey in Christ, we must be careful as we live in the blessings that God grants us.  We do become good at what we do.  We become great at what we are passionate at, but we must remember that as we live in God’s will, we must be ready to stay focused on the path He prepared for us and not lose focus in preparing our own paths and get distracted.  In other words, we may become great doctors, lawyers, or educators, but as huge as that may be to us and others around us, they may be just tools God will use in you to bless others he places in your path.

For example, my career is law enforcement. I have twenty plus years in that field and as much as I may think that it's my life’s work, I have grown to realize that it is just the beginning of what God has planned for me.  As a patrol officer I answered calls on a daily basis.  Answering those calls required me to listen to various versions of the same incident in order to gather facts and bring solutions to the problems.

Listening to story after story, hour after hour and day after day, I learned to develop the skill of ‘effective listening’.  This skill is now carried on to the calling God has blessed Yolanda and I with as we strategize with couples strengthening their marriages.  As much as I have done in law enforcement: patrol officer, flex officer, school resource officer, precinct, and homicide detective; God took all of that and shaped the tool of ‘effective listening’ for His purpose in my life.

Don’t get ahead of God.  Don’t even ‘want’ what God doesn’t want for you and lastly don’t try and set yourself up for a position you think will be great for you, (like James and John). That position you are setting yourself up for may not be for you; and it is definitely not better than the position God already has set up for you. 

Don’t ask for ‘seats’ that are not for you, instead, prepare yourself for the position God already has set up for you and you alone. You can’t even imagine how great a position it is. 

May God continue to bless and keep you under His guidance and love as you continue to journey in Jesus name.

Amen

Blessings,
​Billy

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