Today I had an interesting conversation with a friend that literally made me feel like a person that had been looking for a train to get on for the last 10 years and then missed it when it finally came. We were talking about "clarity" in terms of asking the Lord for clarity in life directionally. I've been asking the Lord to give me clarity in terms of acting, writing, producing, etc. for a while. I would really like for a big compass to drop out of heaven and for the needle to spin round and point me due south or east or somewhere tangible! I figured if I had a clear answer on which direction/project/etc. to take my gifts then I can just take off like a rocket in that direction. But my friend asked the question what is faith then? Am I asking God to remove faith from the picture and give me (tongue in cheek) "clarity"? If I had a perfectly clear picture of what I was supposed to work on next, what to write, how to write it, etc. do you know what I would do? Exactly! I would run off in that direction like a banshee on a mission not bothering to listen to the Holy Spirit each step of the way and probably run into some very annoying problems down the road. Every step I take now is on faith. I have to have my ear and heart closely bent to the Holy Spirit to get nudged in the direction He wants. To have discernment with decisions and not lose sight of PRIORITIES.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that there are some obvious things we have the sense to decide on our own (like don't have that grande white mocha with full milk and whip if you are trying to lose weight) and their are some you need some wisdom in. I always think of Psalm 119:105 where the author says, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." and imagine myself walking along a dark path in a cave (think Lord of the Rings adventure) and all I have is a lamp that can light one step in front of me. In front of me, I hear Jesus saying "Follow me." All I can do is follow and trust Him and hold that lamp up and step one step at a time. Clarity is seeing that next step clearly because of the lamp (His Word), Faith would be trusting that where I follow Jesus is safe ground.
Are you praying for clarity about a situation today? Make sure that you are not really asking God to take away the need to have faith in Him in pursuit of that "clarity". Trust that He has a clear picture of EVERYTHING even if we don't.
Please comment with ways that you're faith has increased even if things weren't clear at first.
Have an Inspire(d) day!
