By Doug Creamer
I have always had a sense that I knew where I was going in life. I remember once moving into a rented house and feeling in my spirit that we would only be there two years. Two years later we moved out. Another time, I thought we would be in an apartment for several months which turned into over a year. So everything doesn’t always go as planned.
Even though there has been this overarching sense that I knew where I was going, there have been plenty of times when I struggled with doubt. Was I hearing God? Then there have been those times when God tested my faith. Did I really believe God was going to lead me and take care of my needs? He wants to know our heart.
I have to confess that I have struggled with worry at different times in my life. My dad gave me this amazing math-enabled mind. My wife sometimes calls me the human calculator. We will be out shopping somewhere and she will ask, “This item is going to be 30% off, what will it cost?” I can quickly tell her. (She can figure it out too, just takes her longer.)
This gift can sometimes be a curse. When finances start to get a little tight, I am constantly doing the math in my head. Long before I retired I had done the math over and over again. I even built a spreadsheet to confirm what I had already figured out in my head. Sometimes I will lay in bed late at night calculating and worrying about our budget.
There is a fine line between what the Bible teaches us about being a wise builder and a worrier. The wise builder plans and calculates before beginning a building project to be sure he has enough money to complete the work. The person who worries has done all the math homework to be sure everything will work out and then proceeds to worry about everything along the way. God wants us to trust Him once we have done our math homework and we are confident that we have sought His guidance and are following it.
In other words, God wants us to live in faith. Will there be storms, trials, and tests along the way? Naturally. When we are doing what God told us, walking in faith, then you can be sure there will be opposition. The challenge to our faith gives us the opportunity to believe and trust God. If we sought the Lord, waited for His answer, did our math, then all that is left is trusting while we move forward.
Think about the time Jesus got in a boat with the disciples. He said, “We are going to the other side.” Then he fell asleep. We all know the storm arose in an attempt to prevent them from reaching the other side. When we are moving in the direction that God wants us to go, the enemy will come and try to prevent us from getting there.
The disciples, in a panic, woke Jesus up and asked if He cared whether they were going to die in the storm or not. Jesus got up and commanded the storm and the sea to be still. Then guess what happened? They arrived at the other side.
For me, I have known all along that I would need to work once I retired. I have created a resume, done some interviewing, and generally kept my eyes open for opportunities. My natural tendency is to worry about the details. Where is God leading me? What does He want me to do?
Something different happened. I discovered peace. My future lies before me, an open slate. Some opportunities have come and gone and I am still at peace. The bank account is telling me that I will need to be working sooner rather than later, but I haven’t been worried about it. To be at peace in these circumstances is unusual. When I ask Him about it, He assures me that I am right where I am supposed to be for now.
As you face your fork in the road, I want to encourage you to be at peace. Pray and seek His guidance. Meditate on your options and do your math. Sometimes the new path requires us to wait because God has to work out the details in the background. If that is you, live in peace, because you know He is at work. Do your part and trust Him with your destiny. God is planning a great trip for you; enjoy the ride.
Contact Doug Creamer at PO Box 777, Faith, NC 28041or doug@dougcreamer.com
