Are You Building an Ark or a Golden Calf?

Amber Weigand-Buckley, editor

Have you been building idols in your life to other people’s opinions?

It may seem like a crazy question to ask. Yes, we all look for those who can give us sound advice and insight into faith or life direction. However, are there areas where you’ve let those voices of influence overwrite the call God placed on you?

Maybe it’s that mission trip you didn’t go on because someone convinced you it’s not possible to raise the finances. Perhaps it’s that speaking opportunity that you turned down because you were told you weren’t qualified. Maybe it’s a book you keep putting off writing because you were told you shouldn’t take on another project.

I can’t help thinking back to Noah and the moment God called him to construct a colossal ark smack in the middle of bone dry land.

And to top it off, Noah foolishly took on the job God had called him to do with no previous ark-building experience.

Then when Noah did all he could do, despite the opinion of others, God did all the rest as the animals came in from near and far.

Noah felt the confirmation of everything he’d been working on when the first drop of rain hit the land.

On the other side, look at what happened in Exodus 32 when Moses followed God’s call to meet Him for 40 days on the mountain. While almost everyone else joined, let’s build a golden calf party.

I read a social pin lately that said

“Not everyone will understand your call. It wasn’t a conference call.”

I had to chuckle because sometimes we wait for someone else’s opinion to determine God’s call in our life. And sometimes, sadly that opinion overwrites our obedience to God.

I guarantee you being obedient to God’s call will not be comfortable, convenient, easy and acceptable —and it’s not meant to be.

We have to get to the place of realizing that God calls us as His children to do something doomed to failure without Him, and embrace that instead of the idols of popular opinion.  

I pray God helps you prayerfully evaluate everything that you have in your heart, in your hands, and on your shelves that is overwriting His call on your life. God is calling you to embrace a new level of heart wide-open, feet-ready-to-move, Holy Spirit-led mindfulness as you obediently build the ark to move to the next place He is taking you.

 

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