This past year I was offered an opportunity for this coming May to return to Japan. Last summer I was in Japan as a teacher, but now I was being offered the chance to be a student. My first instinct was to cry out, “YES!” but rational won out and I asked my professor the burning questions. “How much will it cost.” and “What will this trip do for me?” As I had every intention of going to Japan, regardless of the cost, I still was compelled to ask, for the sake of logic. Too often I think we are like this when it comes to God.
C.S Lewis brushes over purpose in his speech “Learning in War-time”. He states “ A man’s upbringing, his talent, his circumstances, are usually a tolerable index of his vocation.” Too often when we are presented with an opportunity to better ourselves, as I was with Japan, we focus too much on the minor details. Like Jona, we search for a reason not to go. We search for what we think could be a better vocation than the one God is leading us too.
While we may not realize now the path vocation God has chosen for us, it is still important to grab at any opportunity to discover the answer…even if it means trying something you never thought you would or traveling halfway around the world.
I agree that too often we try to rationalize our way out of our purpose, citing cost, time, energy, etc, but in doing so we cut off the growth God has planned for us. However, we are called to count the cost of being a disciple (Luke 14:25-35) to determine if we are willing to give up all that we have grasped and instead letting God give us the good things we truly desire.
ReplyDelete"While we may not realize now the path vocation God has chosen for us, it is still important to grab at any opportunity to discover the answer." I agree with this comment, it is important to seize every opportunity and attempt to find the path God wants for us. I think that all to often we close doors when what lies beyond them seems to be discomforting or would not bring us happiness. However we must trust in God, he has laid out an optimal path, and he can see beyond the doors.
ReplyDelete