Who Will Win?

In my last post, What if it’s Time to Give Up? Part.1, I share the struggle of Tim Tebow and my own struggle with the dreams and plans I have. I ended the last post by asking a series of question; what do you do when you don’t see your dream coming true?

Are you humble?

1 Kings 3:7 “Now, Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number.  So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?”

First, I would argue that many of us do not go to God to humbly seek His wisdom for the purpose He wants in our lives. Often, we tell God what we want and then “pray” for Him to bless our plans. Solomon went to God in humility and asked God to give him wisdom to lead His people. Solomon was honored to serve God and wanted God’s wisdom to serve well. Before you do give up, ask yourself this question; “When was the last time I humbly asked God to give me wisdom to do His will?” 

I can say to you with all seriousness that there have been many times I just wanted to be a speaker, not so much for wanting to do His will. It had more to do with me wanting my way, not His way. When we are following God faithfully, He will not always move when we want Him to move because He knows our hearts are not in the right place. 

Make no mistake about it, you can spend your entire day doing every tactic the ‘experts” tell you to do to follow your dreams – BUT those are YOUR tactics being moved – not God’s favor or blessing in your life. Just because you see something moving through your willpower does not mean it is God’s will. When you are living your life for God and waiting on Him to move – He might not move – if your heart isn’t in the right place. 

Consider Moses…

Moses is the perfect example from the Bible of a person who had three different life callings. His life can in fact be divided into three parts. Moses eventually became the deliverer of the Hebrew people delivering them from slavery of the Egyptians. 

When Moses was around 40 years old, he saw an Egyptian mistreating a Hebrew (one of his people) thus Moses killed the Egyptian and buried him in the ground. (Exodus 2:11-12). Moses was a man of justice and wanted to stand up for what was right – (nothing wrong with that right?) yet this was not the way God would use Moses to free the Hebrew slaves. Moses’ character had to be developed and shaped into the image of God. It would be another 40 years before God would use Moses to free the Hebrew slaves from bondage. 

In your efforts to make your dream come true – is God trying to shape your character? 

Are you so busy “never giving up” you are missing the opportunity for your character to be developed by God? When we move in our own power making what we want to happen – happen, we start to feel self-reliant. If God would have allowed Moses’ plan to be the deliverer when he killed the Egyptian, Moses would have received the glory, not God. Moses’ character would not be developed – thus God would not use Moses in the same way he used him. 

My Life…His Will

Like Moses could your life story be developed into several parts? Is it possible that Tim Tebow has been used by God already to be an NFL quarterback, albeit three years of playing in the NFL?  Is it possible that God has already used me to be the speaker HE wanted me to be even if it’s only been a few times?

This might not be very popular but what if you have already done what God wants you to do in one part of your life and now it’s time for the second part of your life to begin?

Moses was born a Hebrew slave, and to save his life, he was put on the Nile River by his mother. (Exodus 2:3) He was soon discovered by one of Pharoah’s daughter’s who “adopted” him. Moses lived for 40 years as an Egyptian prince. He grew in wisdom and power and speech.

Acts 7: 22 “Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action.“

After 40 years of living as an Egyptian God directed a new course for Moses. 

Are you still trying to pursue a purpose that God has already used in you? In our minds that does not make sense. You only “lived your dream” for one year, or five years. Other people are doing the same thing you’re trying to do for 30 years. God is obviously making a mistake, right?

No. He is not. 

Your life is not that other person’s life. 

Your life is YOUR life and however God has designed YOUR life is not the same as everyone else you’re comparing yourself to. 

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Even for Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, his life was different than other prophets, but that was his life, not the other prophet’s life and how God would use Jeremiah was different than the others. 

We become miserable looking at the world around us, assuming we need to have the exact same purpose as someone else, yet forgetting to submit to God’s will for our lives by letting Him direct our steps.

What if Tim Tebow worked harder, and harder, and followed all the “experts” to continue his NFL career? He might not have led a man on death row to Jesus Christ. A man on death row, on suicide watch, had prayed to God to show up if He was real. Within minutes Tim Tebow and his other ministry partners had made their way to his cellblock. The man was in tears. He could not believe God heard his prayers. Although this man might be spending the rest of his life in physical prison, he accepted Jesus Christ right there and his life in eternity was forever changed! Reference: Shaken, by Tim Tebow.

Consider what you have already accomplished. Has God already used you the way He wants and now He is wanting to begin a new journey in you for His Kingdom? Are you stopping greater things from being accomplished in your life?

Give up the Fight 

When Moses was 80 years old, he did the unimageable, he led the Hebrew people out of Egypt after 400 years living as slaves. By the time Moses was 80 he had developed into a meek and humble servant of God. His upbringing in Egypt made him the best qualified leader of the people of Israel, and through the character development he had to go through – God used him at 80 years in a mighty way. We are still learning from Moses thousands of years later!

I know it doesn’t sound too exciting thinking you might have to wait many years for God to use you in a mighty way. Maybe not. Maybe God will do something mighty in your life next year, but here’s the good news, when you stop trying to make your life be what you want it to be, you live – and become the person God wants you to become. You are no longer trying to “make it”. You are living your life every day excited and ready to serve Him.

You are no longer listening to the “experts”, rather your entire life revolves around THE expert of it all. You give up the fight to be like the world and walk the narrow road with God saving souls. 

When if it is time to give up?

It is…

Today is the day you give up trying to be someone other than who God wants you to be. Take off your sandals just like Moses did because you are on Holy ground. Invite God’s presence into your room right now and hear Him guide your path. 

Let go and let Him be who He wants you to be!

And when you do…You will win!

~Saleama A. Ruvalcaba, MATS

Do you know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? If not email me today and I will pray with you.