What if I Had Made A Mistake?

“Joshua told the people, ‘Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.’” Joshua 3:5 (NIV)

My new job and responsibilities are working out well.  God reinforced to me that I have a wonderful boss (something I had already known and brought sadness when I had thought about leaving) who loves Him and gave me the gift of my job being a ministry where I could use my talents and passion for Him on a daily basis.

However, I had to wrestle with the fact, before I turned in my resignation, what if I was making a mistake?  What if I had resigned and my boss accepted it?  Would I have been disobeying God by leaving too soon, leaving His best for my life?  What if I had resigned, my boss accepted it, and I started the other job only to find out the hours and pay weren’t what was promised?  Would I have been in disobedience to God?

I was able to put my feet in the river without seeing the ending of the story for two main reasons, both of which I learned from Joshua in the Bible.  The first is that sometimes God will give us a glimpse into the Promised Land but we still have to have faith in order to claim it for ourselves.  God showed me that I could work with less stress but that I had to actively choose that for myself.  Joshua had to put his foot in the river and begin the act of crossing over before God showed up and delivered them.

The second lesson I learned was that while the Promised Land is great, there are still battles to be won and giants to be faced.  I love my two jobs…I truly do.  I don’t feel like I’m at work…but it’s still work.  I still make mistakes, I still have deadlines and responsibilities, and because of the awesome bosses I work for, I want to do my best for them to show them how much I appreciate this opportunity.  So just because it’s the Promised Land doesn’t mean I get to slack off.  I still need to earn that paycheck. I’m just privileged to earn it while doing something I love.

Lastly, and probably the most important lesson that I learned was from God Himself.  He doesn’t need my help.  He is fully capable of taking care of me, guiding me in the direction He wants me to go, and He wants to see me succeed more than I want to see me succeed.  He is cheering me on and if I head in a direction that is not my best, He is quite capable of allowing me to stay and learn something important, help me change direction, deliver me from my U-turn, or something else equally amazing.  He really doesn’t need my “expertise” or lack thereof.  He has this and as a result, I can rest peacefully knowing that He will guide my steps if I allow Him too.

So, my friend if you have a difficult decision ahead, and you’ve prayed about it, asked God for wisdom, sought godly counsel, and feel that your choice lines up with God’s Word, step out confidently.  God doesn’t need your help.  He can take your choices and make something beautiful.  Just let Him lead…and watch where He will take you.  He took my resignation and turned it into an incredible job promotion.

© Cheri Swalwell 2015