Anything I Put My Mind Too

Someone once said I could do anything I put my mind too.

Pretty much everyone has heard that at least once in their life. You're sitting down over your homework ready to give up and someone encourages you to keep going. You get involved in sports and feel like a loser, then someone pumps you up. But lately I've come across something that sums this up better than what people say, and I've known it for forever. I can do anything when God helps me!


Sometimes, God calls us to do something we think is absolutely impossible. "Hey God, yeah that thing You want me to do? Uh yeah that...Umm...so I don't think I'm ready to do that. So, since You're so big and great and all, I'm just going to sit back and let someone else do it. You can get someone else to do it, right? Great, because I really don't think I can do it...so yeah. Nice chat. Bless mom and dad, my friends and family, other prayer requests etc etc and show me Your will for my life and whatever You call me to do I'll do it!" How do I know you might be praying this prayer? Because I've prayed it. WAY to many times.

About this time last year, my youth group decided to do a mission trip in August to Arlington, TX. to do put on a VBS in the mornings and a youth revival in the evenings. As time went on, my youth leader pretty much told me I was going to be the VBS director and they wanted me to lead the worship team in the evenings. I had just turned 18 and agreed only to go along with it until I found a way out of it. In May I started a new full time job. I started using that as my excuse. If I couldn't get out work for a week, then I wasn't going to go. But I never really stressed to my boss that it would be nice to get off. It was just kinda a "if it happens great, if not eh I don't really care".

I went to Camp in June and I really felt God working on me to do something. I can't tell you how many times I prayed for Him to reveal what He wanted me to do and told Him I would do it! I got back home, VBS came back up and I completely shut it down again. Finally, about two weeks before we were supposed to leave for the week, I surrendered to God and went to my boss and very meekly (with shaking legs) told her that I trusted God would find a worker to replace me for that week, because I was going on this mission trip. Thankfully I work for a church and she understood and let me go. Immediately I felt a weight lifted off my shoulders.

Over the week, I not only saw God working in my fellow students, I felt Him working in me. I realized that even though I was doing pretty good leading VBS and singing back up vocals in the praise team, I could have contributed so much more and done so much more if I had been on board following His will the entire time. My human nature and unwillingness held me back and I can tell you I suffered for it. I still learned stuff and I wouldn't trade it for anything! But I know that I missed out on so many things just because I wasn't willing to serve him.

Maybe God is telling you that there is something He wants you to do. Or maybe, He doesn't want you to do it, He just wants you to be willing to do it. Something my friend Jake said when he spoke at camp about missions, most people don't go until they hear Him tell them too. Not many people go until God tells them to stop. Maybe you have a gift for God, and an opportunity arises for you to use that talent for God. Instead of backing away, waiting for another solution to arise, be willing to step up and do it for Him! Be excited about it! Maybe all He wants you to do is be willing. He might have it in His plan for someone else to do it, but if you just sit back and wait for that to happen, You might miss out on an incredible opportunity!

My youth leader recently opened up his big mouth again and got me roped into maybe doing a really hard thing for me that could serve God. At first, I was terrified and angry that he even brought up the possibility! But then I remembered the lesson I learned last year, and decided that even if it wasn't God's will for me to do it, I would still be completely willing for Him to use me if He so chooses. I'll admit, now with the thought that with God, all things are possible, I'm super excited and I kinda hope it becomes reality.

You are never to young, or even to old, to be used by God if He is calling you. Remember, sometimes, you just have to be willing.

~1 Timothy 4:12- Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.~