Stop asking God what he wants you to do
During the summer months I love taking my two kiddos on walks to the park. We have a beautiful wooden playground about a mile from our house. My son especially loves these walks. He enjoys pointing out all the animals and spotting interesting things along the way. It was during one of these walks that God completely pierced my heart.
My son was three at the time, and as we are nearing the half-way point, a particular tree catches his attention. He asks, “Mom, can I get out of the stroller to look at this tree?!” Without missing a beat, I tell him “No, we need to get to the park.”
“But, why? I really want to look at its leaves!”
“Sorry buddy, we have to keep moving. We need to get to the park.”
Then I felt the Holy Spirit tapping me on the shoulder. Why are you in such a hurry? It was my day off, we had nothing planned except for our walk to the park, but I wanted to get to there as efficiently as possible. I didn’t want to ‘waste time’ looking at leaves.
I had been so focused on my agenda - get to the park - that I had completely lost sight of the bigger vision. I want to be a mom who has fun with her kids.
We are a nation of doers. When you meet someone for the first time, they almost always lead with the question, “What do you do for work?” Doers value processes, efficiency, and growth. Doers make things happen!
During my time with God, my prayer often sounds like I’m in a board meeting. I ask, “God, what would you like me to do? I’ve accomplished x, y, z from your list. What’s next?” The problem is, when I get too focused on doing, I lose sight of who God is asking me to be.
God humbled me recently while listening to an interview with a church leader. Like myself, he admitted that many of his prayers used to start with ‘doing.’ God, what do you want me to do for you? Then, he very graciously reminded me that we serve the God of the universe, and he doesn’t need me to do anything!
What would happen if we stopped placing emphasis on doing and started asking God, “Who do you want me to be?”
What if, instead of asking people what they did for work, we starting simply asking them who they are? What would it look like to place value on a person rather than placing the value in the work they produce?
One thing I know about God, he is a God of love. Love is rarely ever efficient; love requires you to slow down. Friend, today I invite you to slow down. Stop asking God what he wants you to do, and start asking him who he wants you to become. It’s a distinction that could completely change your walk with Christ.