Courage

The willingness to change course. I saw that phrase on Instagram as I was scrolling around today and it kinda stuck with me. I’ve also heard others refer to it as the courage to change course. As we head into 2022, I know some people are thinking up their New Years’ resolutions and things that they want to see change in 2022. But fact is, unless we invite Jesus into it and we ask Him for the steps we need to take to see a different result, we are setting ourselves up to fail.

It is one thing to be able to identify when something is not working, it is another to be able to discern what Jesus wants you to do about it. We need to be willing to take inventory on our lives and see what’s working and what could use improvement and what needs a total change of course. But sometimes we are set in our own dysfunction and we need a fresh pair of eyes, Jesus’ eyes, to help us see where things are not quite right. Once He has shown us what is not quite right or what is out of place, we must be willing to change course.

Joshua 1:9 says, “This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

It’s not always easy to change course, that’s why we need courage. Because yes, you may have been at it for 5 years, 6 months or however long but if God says it needs to change then it needs to change. Sometimes we are more committed to our effort than we are to doing what God says we should do. We feel we have invested so much in that job, that relationship, that situation that when God says it is time to walk away or do it different, we struggle with it. We need to be strong and courageous and trust that God is with us.

This year I have talked a lot about trusting God. We need to trust God with our lives. We also need to trust the direction He is asking us to take. I felt towards the end of this year that I needed to change course in an area of my life. I prayed about it and looked at different ways to do it and in so doing, I came to realise that I had lost perspective in what I was doing and what I needed wasn’t so much a change in course but an adjustment to my perspective. Sometimes God doesn’t want you to make a drastic change, sometimes its just minor tweaks but we must be sensitive enough to His voice to hear Him and follow Him.

Don’t underestimate the value of minor tweaks. I once read about a 1 in 60 rule. Not sure how far accurate it is but apparently if an airplane is 1 degree off when it takes off, it will miss its destination by 1 mile for every 60 miles it travels. Meaning, the longer the flight, the further away from the destination the airplane ends up being. So, when God comes to make small adjustments, the adjustments may be uncomfortable but if we want to land in the right destination, we need to accept those adjustments and adopt them into our lives. If we want to land in God’s promises, we must be willing to let God tweak our lives and help us change course.

It may be something big or something small but whatever it is, if we want the future and the hope that Jeremiah 29:11 promises us, then we must be willing to change course. We may already be off course, but God’s adjustments will make sure we land in the right place. We need to be willing to change course and we must also have the courage to change course. Courage does not mean the absence of fear. It is about believing God is bigger and greater than the thing we fear most.

Psalm 37:23 says, “The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.” The “godly” speaks to people who are submitted to God’s will. We need to submit to God’s will over our own. His will over our “investments” or things we have put time and effort in. If God says, “Let us move on”, or “Let us turn a little bit this way”, I hope we are all quick to obey His voice.

As you make your plans for 2022, be flexible. Leave room for God-adjustments. Leave room for God to move things around and re-arrange a few things. He knows the destination. So let Him direct your steps so you can land in the right destination.  

Love and blessings,

Melissa Tsingano