BE WHERE YOUR FEET ARE
With almost a week left in my first career professional season, I have so many emotions going through my head. This new transition to Idaho Falls, Idaho has been incredible. I have fallen in love with the beautiful mountains up here, the cool summer weather, and the people I have had the opportunity to interact with.
As I am sitting in my room watching the UAB football team make a historic comeback, I am overwhelmed with thoughts. As I watched the Blazers take the field I couldn’t help but tear up, knowing of all the hard work I put in the last year to be left without getting the reward of running out of the tunnel with all of my brothers.
After a few moments reflecting and taking a step back, I was reminded of a story from the other day that reminded me that God really has me right where I need to be. And I think it may remind you to think a little differently about your situation.
And here’s why:
A couple days ago, the team was stuck in the hotel lobby for two hours waiting on the bus, so I took an opportunity to catch up on my quiet time.
As I opened my Bible and my journal, I had a guy on my team ask what I was writing about. Not thinking much of it, I told him a little about what I do in the mornings and why I do it. He insisted and continued to ask a few questions about WHY I do what I do… and it clicked, this is an opportunity for me to share my testimony and the impact God has had on my life.
As I finished my testimony filled with how God has transformed my life, I could feel the Holy Spirit tugging me to continue sharing the good news of the Gospel. I started to tell him the importance of Jesus and how God sent Jesus to the Earth to save us from our guilt and shame.
After a solid 30-minute conversation, he kind of muttered, “Man I wish I could have that freedom you have.” I said, “Bro, the best thing about it is whenever you put yourself aside and accept who Jesus is in your heart, your relationship with Him begins and everything changes. Simple. The past… gone. The mistakes…gone. The shame… gone. This is covered under the grace and love when Jesus Christ died for YOU. He died for YOU. He forgives, cleanses, and purifies you with a complete heart transformation.”
Romans 10:9-10 says, “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is your heart that you believe and are justified and with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”
After a few minutes of explaining that, I got the opportunity to lead him in a prayer that changed his life forever. The Heavens rejoiced and the Kingdom of Heaven just got bigger. His name is Rustin and I ask that you pray for him as he starts his journey with the Lord. What an exciting time!
I tell you this story not to brag nor take any credit, but to encourage you in your situation. After an emotional day watching UAB play, I realized it was the lens that I was looking through that affected how I viewed my situation.
If you are stuck in a situation and you don’t feel like you are being used to your full potential… put on a new lens and view it from a different perspective.
Do you feel like you complain about what you don’t have, instead of being grateful for what you do have?
Realize that what we DO have is a gift from God. If you are overlooking that gift, take a step back and realize that His hand is on your life. James 1:17 says, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father.”
Do you feel like you need a promotion because you have worked hard and done everything right?
Well maybe God has something in store for you at that specific level. Pray for God to give you wisdom to handle your situation differently this upcoming week. Proverbs 3: 5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him and he will make your paths straight.”
Every situation you are in, you are in it for a reason and you have the choice to take advantage of that.
When I realized that I was made for a purpose and that purpose is to share the Gospel, the pressure, the anxiety, and the stress of performing well went away. I am still competitive and get frustrated, but at the end of the day, I realized that God is going to place me in whatever city on whatever team and that I have the choice to be selfish and complain or grateful, making the most of every opportunity given to me.
If you find yourself struggling flipping the lens in your situation and not feeling the intimacy between you and God, dive deeper. Be obedient with your quiet time, set aside the worldly distractions, and listen to what God is trying to tell you. Go a week giving God the first 15 minutes of your day and notice the difference. Pray for God to help you find your purpose in your situation and write down new goals for you to fill. The Bible says God blesses those who hear and follow His word.
This quote is my last thought and I want to leave it with you to think about:
“Your purpose is present right now. In every season it is God’s will that we are matured and equipped for the next. So instead of sitting around in your bitterness about where you are, use this time to grow, to mature, and to make the most out of what God has in front of you.”
God Bless and Go Blazers!
-Brewer