….it gets to you after a while.
There will be no end of people querying your choices, casting doubts on your call even.
Perhaps you have decided with your dh to stop working and stay home to raise your children yourself. Or give up your live-in maid and take over the household chores yourself. Or to homeschool your children. Or start a home business.
As you excitedly tell the people around you, the doubts start coming in – not from yourself (you have plenty of that coming at you in the middle of the night!) – but from the people close to you and even from those who are not!
“Are you sure you can do this?” “What’s about x, y, z?” “Have you thought about this properly?” “Oh what a pity!”
Oh – the incessant voices! All supposedly offered with well intentions but sometimes, I really wonder. It slowly chips away at your confidence. “Maybe I heard God wrongly”. “Maybe I have been too optimistic.” “Maybe, maybe, maybe…”
That is why with every decision we take, it is important to take it to the Lord. Not after we have decided and we just want God to give his signature to our plan. But to take the whole situation to Him right from the start and wait for Him to direct us. Once He has spoken, you can stand firm.
I must warn you though – even when God has spoken clearly to you, there will still be days (and nights) when you will doubt. And then you have to “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” 2 Corinthians 10:5.
In general, taking the less trodden path is not easy. And when you choose to walk God’s way -ahhh!!!! It gets really challenging! But the rewards are greater than you can ever imagine. We just need to keep focused.
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith.” Hebrews 12:1-2
When we walk in His paths, we need to remember WHO we are walking with and to. And when we want to give up, throw in the towel and follow the crowds (just coz it is easier), remember the words of Paul,
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9. Emphasis mine.
May this bless and encourage those of us who are feeling down and alone just because we are following our Lord and Master and no one understands or may even ridicule us!