“God isn’t surprised we want more confirmation.”

A thought by Bob Goff from his book, Everybody, Always: Becoming Love in a World Full of Setbacks and Difficult People (p. 94). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)

We really want to know, don’t we? I mean, give me a bunch of green lights to direct me. That’s what I want. That’s what I need. But is it what we really need?

Bob says, “Who wouldn’t want more green lights? Yet, at some point, we need to stop waiting for permission and go live our lives. God isn’t stingy with His love, and He doesn’t delight in seeing us uncomfortable either. Perhaps we don’t get all the answers and confirmations we ask for because God loves seeing us grow.”

Bob goes on, “In the same breath, though, sometimes it’s a good thing to pause. One of the writers in the Bible said to his friends that just because the door was open didn’t mean it was for him to walk through. The difference between a prudent pause and persistent paralysis is a distinction worth knowing.

“Recognize when your beautiful ambitions are getting stuck inside your head. You don’t need to take all the steps, just the next one. God may not give us all the green lights we want, but I’m confident He gives us all the green lights He wants us to have at the time. Go with what you’ve got. If God wants you to stay put, He’ll let you know. We also have some guaranteed green lights that are always on: our noble desires; God’s clear instructions in the Bible to love everybody, always; His love for us; and the gift of each other. You can put a lot of weight on these and triangulate from there to figure out the rest of life’s unknowns.”

He then says, “The difference between the number of green lights we want and the number we get from God is a pretty good description of what faith is. Faith isn’t knowing what we can’t see; it’s landing the plane anyway, rather than just circling the field. Get the plane on the ground.”

Remember, “God isn’t surprised we want more confirmation. He just hopes we won’t get stuck waiting for it.”

So, are you confident with the green lights He has given you or are you waiting for more?

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