"Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, 'Go south to the road - the desert road - that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.' So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah the prophet. The Spirit told Philip, 'Go to that chariot and stay near it.' Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. 'Do you understand what you are reading?' Philip asked. 'How can I,' he said, 'unless someone explains it to me?' So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. ... Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, 'Look, here is water. Why shouldn't I be baptized?' And he gave ordered to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing." Acts 8 : 26 - 40
Tonight at large group, I was incredibly distracted. I was worrying about my tests this week, getting the oil changed in my car, planning a wedding, doing homework. Once I started listening to Ryan's words, I realized how true they were. Ryan began talking about how our culture searches for understanding and desires for our lives to make sense. We plan and we are always mindful of where we are going; the tests next week, the classes next semester, the job once we graduate. I was being distracted from large group because of my desire for order in my life.
I really like having a plan. When things are not figured out it just makes me uncomfortable and I start searching for a plan. While this makes me happier and feel more ordered, I start forcing God into my plans rather than letting God shape my vision and call me into more. When I look at my life, my vision makes sense, my life is ordered, and my plans are set for success.
But who am I to limit God to my plans?? God has a vision and a plan for his church and this world and by his grace we get to be a part of that. God's vision for us seems so disordered when compared to our ordered visions we have for ourselves but he is calling us into more. We can't see the end goal right now but we feel the disorder and that is really hard. But I take comfort in the fact that the disorder I feel is really beautifully ordered when looking at God's vision.
If we're going to hold our lives up to God's vision, then the logical question would be: What is that vision? If you figure out the answer to that question, please put it in the comments below. I would love to know that vision! It would make life so much easier!! I think the closest answer we have right now is obedience. If we can become obedient in the small things we can begin to experience God and the vision he has for us.
The Bible is full of stories of people that said yes to little things and God showed up in big ways. Peter left behind the wealth of fish to follow Jesus. Abram left the land of his father and went to the place God promised to show him. Mary broke societies rules and sat at the feet of Jesus to hear his teaching. Jesus himself left a town of people excited to hear more from him so that he could find a city where no one had heard the good news. These choices aren't the easy ones and they don't make sense. In fact, all of these people seem kinda crazy. However, by saying yes to these little things God showed up in big ways. You can see this in the passage above as well. Philip said yes to go and talk to the Ethiopian and through that he was able to baptize the Ethiopian and was transported to another place by God.
As I think about obeying God I get overwhelmed and excited at the same time. I truly believe God will show up in unbelievable ways. I also understand how difficult it is to let go of our dreams and visions and allow God to shape them as he pleases. It's not natural to hold open-handedly our dreams. It's not natural to let go of our business and leave space to be obedient to the voice of God. And we need to obey out of expectation and anticipation for what God will do rather than obligation.
This isn't an easy commitment we are making. I'll be using the comments as accountability for the ways I've obeyed in the little things this week. I would love for the comments to be filled with ways you are going to remind yourself to be obedient during the week but also stories of what has happened out of that obedience.
