How/Where is God Calling You?

I am amazed at the many people that God has been sending Will & I’s way to share a kind and encouraging word, to let us know they are praying for us, and to share how we have inspired them.  One thing that has been on my heart for the past few weeks is the amount of people who have been saying to me, “I wish I could do something big for God” or “I wish I was brave enough to do something like that.” ​

I have really been thinking about that and how God calls us all to different things, no matter where we are or our method for sharing the Gospel.  God called Will and I to France.  But he may be calling you to minister to your family as a spouse or parent. He may be calling you to minister to those you work with.  He may be calling you to serve in a local ministry or in your church.  He may be calling you to start a ministry to reach a specific cause or people group that is on your heart.  He may be calling you outside of the United States. It looks a little different for us all, but in the end leading people to Christ is all that really matters. 

I have been wanting to write a post related to this topic and didn’t really know how.  Then last night I ran across this Facebook post from one of my favorite worship artists, “I Am They” and it was as if they took my thoughts and wrote them down.  I hope you are as encouraged as I am.

"To everyone out there who knows they're falling short of God's greatest potential.
To all those waiting for God to use you for something great...
Set aside your excuses and make time to invest in your passions now.
Be obedient and start something.
Begin small.
Do it because you love it.
Do it because you care about it.
Do it as an overflow of who you are.
Dare to dream big and have the guts to show up, step out, and do something outside the box.
Even if you don't get paid to do it.
Even if you're never recognized for it.
Even if people tell you it's irresponsible.
Trust that God will do with it as He wills and that, in time, He'll show you what that looks like.

Im so thankful that's what we did 8 years ago. What began as a worship night at our local church became a traveling ministry. What started as our excuse to hang out, sing songs, and bless others became a career. What was birthed as a desire grew to become our greatest source of sacrifice.
And now, the ministry that changed my life forever, is now changing the lives of others all around the world. I think that's pretty rad.

So, here I am, sitting in the back of a church auditorium in Grand Rapids Michigan, thousands of miles from where this all began, watching my friends sing songs, serve God and bless others in the same way we did before... and I'm thankful.
God is way better at dreaming than we ever will be.

So, whoever you are... always remember that God made you for something great. Don't sell yourself short or spend your life waiting. Give God the freedom to reveal to you what "more than you could ever ask or imagine" could really look like.
Even if it grows no bigger than your living room - there is greatness in it still.
Because it's all about Him.


This is the last show of the year I'll witness in person... And man, has it been one heck of a year. Here's to many more... @iamtheyband "
- @torimaehein
 

https://www.facebook.com/iamthey/?fref=nf

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On a similar note, I wanted to share this video from Bill Hybels.  I know I've mentioned it before in a previous post but it is personally convicting. He talks about courageous leadership and how so many of us have specific visions from God but abort those visions out of fear.  If you can't watch this whole video, (It's long.) take a few minutes to watch 13:30-17:40.  If you do have a vision, be brave and begin to pursue that call & vision that God has placed in your heart.

"Guess what lots of leaders do when they get a cool and challenging vision from God? They abort the vision secretly… Fear grips the leader so to play it safe they fed-x that cool vision back to God and they say, “no thanks, too risky, send it to some other idiot. See how she does, see how he does. Don't send it to me. Too risky.”   Gang, I live with the deep seated conviction that throughout history, our gracious God has sent extremely cool visions to leaders all over the world. Visions that would launch exciting businesses that would employ hundreds of people. Visions that would end human trafficking, that would increase food production so no one would have to go to bed hungry, visions that would provide clean drinking water for everyone in the world, visions that would root corruption out of government, visions that would end racial and ethnic violence. I believe to my toes that God has sent millions of cool life-enhancing visions to leaders young and old all over the world, only to have those visions snuffed out because the leader thought the cost might be too high or the potential for failure might be too great.  But no one knows that all these cool visions are being aborted." - Bill Hybels