Recently, I was thinking back to the day my wife and I brought each of our kids home for the first time.
I always remember the feelings of excitement—bringing this new life into our family. The love that fills your heart for them, but then also the fear and pressure that comes with being a parent. That question of, Hey, do I have what it takes to raise this child well? To teach them what they need to know? To provide for them? And all the things, right?
And I don’t think you have to be a parent to get that feeling—of wondering, “Am I really up to this thing that’s in front of me? This role, this project, this relationship, this calling, etc?”
And as Christians, I don’t think that’s something we’re immune to.
I don’t think that just because we have a relationship with God, because we know Jesus, because we love Him, that it exempts us from those feelings from time to time.
And if anything, the question isn’t if we ever deal with it. I think the better question is: what do we do in those moments when we don’t have the confidence to walk in obedience to Him?
Today I want to share one verse and one thought to help you the next time you’re in a situation or season like that.
In Jeremiah 1:5 (NLT), the Lord says to the prophet Jeremiah:
“I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”
So Jeremiah is a young priest, and he’s being called by God to deliver these messages—these prophecies—to Israel, to Judah, and to some of the surrounding nations.
And when you read chapter one, you see that Jeremiah pushes back right away. He says, “Lord, who am I to do this? I’m too young.”
And I think we could all have our own version of that answer: I’m too young. I’m too old. I’m too… fill in the blank.
And as you continue reading through chapter one, God says, essentially: this isn’t about you being ready or good enough. This is about Me choosing you, Me calling you, Me being with you, Me empowering you, and Me walking alongside you every step of the way.
You see, the mistake Jeremiah was making in his calling was thinking it was all on him.
And I think that’s a mistake all of us as believers can make. When God calls us to do something, we have a tendency to think, “If it’s to be, it’s up to me.”
But the truth is, God doesn’t call us because we’re qualified. God calls us out of His grace and His sovereignty.
So the big thing I want to leave us with—the big idea from this passage—is this:
Don’t wait for confidence, walk in obedience.
I think one of the big mistakes we make in our culture today, not just as believers but as human beings, is thinking, “I can’t do the thing until I have the confidence to do it. I’ve got to get ready.”
And don’t get me wrong—there’s always some preparation in every calling. But there comes a point where you’re never going to feel 100% ready, and you just have to go do the thing.
And you’ve got to do it scared.
And here’s the thing that God promises: not that you will be fearless. God doesn’t really call us to be fearless. He calls us to be faithful.
And faithfulness means walking in obedience, even if you don’t have the confidence that you would like to have.
So I want to ask you: what’s the thing that God is calling you to walk in obedience to?
Where is He calling you to obedience in your life—in your finances, in your relationships, in your job, in your family, in your health, and fill in the blank?
What is the thing God is calling you to walk in obedience to in at least one area of your life in this season?
And oftentimes, the trap I see believers making is this: I’m waiting on God to give me the confidence.
But oftentimes, it’s actually God waiting on us to walk in obedience.
We’re waiting for confidence. He’s asking for obedience.
Jeff McClung 