Trust and Obey

The lyrics of a popular song come to mind as I write this post:

Trust and obey
For there's no other way
To be happy in Jesus
But to trust and obey.

Recently, I walked away from my job to join my husband in full time ministry. In obedience to God's call, I left it all behind - salary, fringe benefits, etc. Do I regret this decision? No. Although the logical part of my brain cringes at the thought of leaving it all behind, my heart rejoices at the prospect of serving God full time.

But, I'm still human and at times I have fears and concerns:

The current economy is not at its best, to say the least. Letting go of a steady stream of income has its own risks.

Affordable health insurance.

I have worked in the corporate environment for more than 20 years. Fulltime ministry is a big change for me. It draws me out of my comfort zone. Would I be adequate for the job?

Nevertheless, I know in my heart that God has called me to serve Him. He says He will never leave nor forsake me (Hebrews 13:5), so why do these fears taunt me sometimes? Because I need to trust God completely, and trust is a process.

My first task is to acknowledge my fears and concerns, face them honestly. Next, surrender them to Jesus who enables me to do all things (Philipians 4:13). The Bible says that if we obey and serve God, we will "spend [our] days in prosperity and [our] years in pleasures" (Job 36:11). That doesn't mean our faith will never be tested by adversity. Our faith will be tested, but God will always bring out the best in us if we respond the right way.

My times are in God's hands. He is Jehovah Jireh, the One who meets all my needs (Philipians 4:19).

Yes, I am inadequate. For the work that I do for God is not in my own strength but in Christ alone (John 15:5). God wants me to rely totally on Him. He alone deserves the glory for every good work He does in and through me.

Like Paul said, I do not consider myself to know it all, but I strive to make it to the end zone with God's help (Philipians 3:13-14). One chapter has closed, a new one has begun. Each day will bring new lessons in trusting God, and I hope to pass those lessons along once I have learned and applied them well.