I (Tracy) pondered the question How can we say yes and concluded—it depends. How we say yes is completely dependent upon the season of life we are in.
How I say yes and what I say yes to isn’t the same today as it was six months ago, and it won’t look the same a year from now. Life isn’t stagnant; it’s ever-changing. God’s always doing something new and different, so I can’t get too stuck in my ways. I want to follow what I sense is His leading and step where He’s asking. I have to let go of routine and be willing to follow a different route.
Sometimes that’s scary.
Sometimes that’s exhilarating.
Sometimes it’s a bit of both.
I’m glad God looks at the heart and isn’t waiting to drop the gauntlet when I drop the ball. He doesn’t cry foul and sit me on the sidelines. Game over. Oh, if I were trying to pull a fast one, He might sideline me. We can’t get one past God. But His nature is merciful. He knows we’ll mess things up from time-to-time. He lets us take the shot anyhow. It’s how we learn. It’s how we grow. Experience is a good teacher.
I’ve said yes to God for big and little things. Not always, mind you. Fortunately, God has worked in my life in such a way that I want to. The desire to say yes to God wells up in my heart, like the joy that overflows when I follow Him.
God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us.—Acts 15:8 NIV
While God knows experience is a good teacher; more importantly, He’s given us the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us along the way. We’re not left to flounder on our own. With the Trinity supporting us, there are definitely some long shots we can make. You know the kind. It’s an adrenaline-filled gym, the game is tied with only a few seconds left. A player thinks to herself, what do I have to lose? I’m going to take the shot. It might go in. SWISH! The buzzer goes off. The crowd shouts in exhilaration, celebrating the game-winning shot!
We’ll never miss the shot we don’t take.
On the other hand, we won’t make the shot either. We can live a lukewarm life, or we can live one sold out to all the adventure God calls us to. His imagination is limitless. He’s packed a whole lot of potential into His kids, each and every one. How that manifests looks different individually. The shot He has you take won’t be the same shot He asks me to take. God doesn’t need clones. He wants us to pursue Him and the unique calling He pre-established for each of us.
Did you catch what our verse said? He’s accepted us. Flaws included. They give us a little character is all. Our imperfections are part of what make us different from one another. They also serve to keep us humble and dependent on God.
It took me awhile to get to the place of dependence, and it took me awhile longer to begin to grasp what that means. Not knowing. Not feeling adequate. In over my head may just be the very best place to be. I know I can’t, so I cling to God.
Do you want to know what else? As great of a ballplayer as Michael Jordan was, he missed 12,345 shots during his NBA career.₁ But that’s not what he’s known for, is it? He was in the game. He took the shot. Even after he missed. Misses and makes, they’re both part of the game. Champions are willing to miss a shot in order to make some.
The clock is ticking. I have nothing to lose. Maybe I should take the shot. Am I right, ladies? We have a limited amount of time to bring God’s kingdom here on earth, and there will be plenty of others God will call to participate. However, our ability to engage in the activity is limited. Life may seem long, but in reality, the days and years slip past quickly. The image reflected in my mirror serves to remind me. Where did that fresh-faced 20-something go?
That image has been replaced by a woman who loves Jesus, doesn’t always know what she’s doing, has learned a few lessons the hard way, and wouldn’t want to be anywhere else than right where she is today. I know that’s where God is—with me in this present moment. Immanuel.
I have wrinkles – some from laughing too hard, others are grief etched permanently on my face. All the lines intersect, making me who I am today: the woman who wants to say yes to Jesus. What He has for me is worth taking the shot.
How can we say yes to God? We can allow God to grow our desire to want to. Our ability to say “yes” is rooted in our heart. It’s where the will to want to is born. As God grows our desire to want to we’ll be motivated to say “yes” when He asks us to take a shot.
How has God helped you want to say yes?
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