Have you ever stood at a
crossroads in your life where you weren't sure which way to go?
Perhaps you knew which path was the right one, but it still seemed
so unsure. Maybe it looked unpopular. Maybe it felt lonely.
Perhaps it appeared downright impossible and scary. As you stood
at this crossroads, you wanted to do the right thing with all your
heart and soul, but it was so daunting that perhaps you hesitated.
You may even have backed up in reverse. The desire was there, but
you didn't know "how" you could possibly travel that
road with success.
When faced with crossroads in life, it's often not a question
of knowing which path is the one God wants you to take as it is a
matter of needing to know how God is going to help you down that
path. Interestingly enough, God rarely shows us those details.
Those of us who find comfort and stability in knowing how things
are going to play out also have an intense need to control our
environments and destinies. We find it frightening to stand at a
crossroad knowing that the only way to reach our desired
destination is to forge ahead into the unknown on a path that
requires surrender of our need to control.
"Surrendering" is not an easy prospect, but it is one
that must occur in order for us to be able to take even one step
down the most wonderful of all paths. Walking this path involves
surrendering your will to God and trusting Him to figure out the
"how" of working all things together for your good. Once
you surrender, you soon learn that He always does.
Surrendering requires faith – a leap of faith. And
surprisingly it really doesn't take that much of it. It only takes
a particle. Jesus used the mustard seed to illustrate this point.
In Matthew 17:20, He told His disciples that if they had faith as
a grain of mustard seed, they could say unto a mountain,
"Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and
nothing shall be impossible unto you."
Why does it take just a tiny seed of faith to work the
impossible? Because that tiny particle of faith is what is
necessary to commit to the path that leads to complete surrender
to God's will. Once we choose to commit and take steps down God's
path, we begin to see that the pathway, which once looked so dark
and foreboding, is now lit ahead for a footstep or two. With each
step we take, the next step is lit. If we stay the course and
don't panic in self-doubt and turn back, we learn to trust Him.
Our faith grows, and we learn that although "with men this is
impossible, with God all things are possible." (Matthew
19:26)
In Matthew 13:31-32 Jesus gave the parable of the mustard seed.
"The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed,
which a man took, and sowed in his field: Which indeed is the
least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among
herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and
lodge in the branches thereof."
The little kingdom that Jesus organized during his earthly
ministry has grown into a mighty tree that brings shelter and
comfort to an entire world. Yet, beneath the more global
church-wide symbolism for the kingdom of God is the kingdom of God
that is within each of us that all starts with a tiny little
particle of faith no bigger than a mustard seed. Each of us holds
within ourselves the seeds of greatness. Each of us has the
ability within us, if we submit ourselves to God, to grow and
flourish into someone more wonderful than we ever imagined
possible.
Through faith, Jesus taught we could move mountains and that
nothing would be impossible for us. Starting with that first leap
of faith to surrender to Him, through time, experience and living
in accordance with His teachings, our tiny seed of faith grows
until it becomes a great tree-sized herb. Notice that the mustard
seed grows into a tree that helps others. Its seeds can be used in
food and its branches are a home to the birds. So too, as your
faith grows it will lead you to become a mighty instrument in His
hands to selflessly serve others and build His kingdom.
So if you're still standing at that crossroad, what are you
waiting for? Muster your faith, take the leap, and stay the
course. I promise you that it will be worth it!
Marnie Pehrson may be contacted at http://www.pwgroup.com
webmaster@ideamarketers.com.
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Marnie L. Pehrson is a writer, content provider and marketing
coordinator who helps coaches and consultants get the online
exposure they need to turn prospects into clients. She is the
author of "10
Steps to Fulfilling Your Divine Destiny" and can be
reached at webmaster@ideamarketers.com
or http://www.pwgroup.com.