Don’t be surprised that God’s invitation to take action by following Him requires you to leave some places, some habits, and some people behind. Luke 9:61 was not the only time a follower gave a Yes in conjunction with an exception. I have done it too! “I will follow you, Lord: but first, let me…”
But first, let me finish ____.
But first, allow me to do ____.
But first, permit me to ____.
But first, offer me the chance to ____.
But first, grant me the opportunity to ____.
But first, release me without restraint to ____.
But first, give way to ____.
No matter how you word it, your half-hearted, conditional “Yes” is not what God desires. When I think of the many times I have indirectly used one or more of these phrases, all I hear is, “Sure I will, but not right now at this very moment. Can you wait? Let me tend to me first.” Shaking my head, I took a moment to pause, “Please forgive me, Lord.”
Let’s keep it 100
In reality, what I was saying was No. No, because I was too sleepy, too occupied, too vulnerable, too selfish, too uncertain, too insecure, too bothered, too unavailable for the task! God spoke this to me once before, and I will repeat it, “God’s call is not an inquiry of your ability; it is an invitation for your yes!” God is not concerned about our backstories or our perceptions of ourselves. He is well aware of what you are capable of doing. God knew all about you before the call! Our only requirement is obedience. God’s job is everything else! If all you are running on is 10%, give it to God. He can do more with 10% than you can do with 100%. I can hear Lady in my ear, saying, “Hear me and hear me clearly!”
You Aren’t The Only One
I have been there, and that’s why I can speak so freely about it. I established prerequisites within the barriers of my mind. I felt as if something was required as a prior condition before I could commit to a Yes. You know, like signing up for classes, and a course requires that you have taken Class 100, Class 102, and Class 203?
As the sayings go, I thought I had to have all my ducks in a row. I figured all my I’s had to be dotted, and all my T’s had to be crossed. I wanted the perfect circumstance before I gave my Yes. I needed to have the right aesthetics before I started recording for my YouTube channel. I had to have an exact number of followers before I started reaching out to brands. I had to have a skilled photographer before I started taking photos. Sis, the list goes on! But it all boils down to the same thing; there aren’t any prerequisites, just your Yes to follow Him.
Follow Him with no regrets. Follow Him with the refusal to turn back, even when things get hard. Respond to the invite, and Give God Your Full Attention. I can guarantee you that you will venture past your comfort zone, but you will gain the most eternally significant relationship there is!
Go the distance Sis’, Go.
