A Woman Inspired Conference

Julia over at http://hookedonhouses.net/ is having her what are you hooked on party today. Please hop on over to see what other great bloggers are hooked on. I am focusing on my post below the last few weeks and it has been life changing!! Yep, I'm hooked on saying YES to God.


This woman is a genius!!





I mean it. Pure genius.


I attended A Woman Inspired Conference because either Lysa Terkeurst or Melissa from the Inspired Room gave me tickets. Long story, but I received my free ticket 2 days into the conference but just in time to listen to Lysa. Her session was on Women Saying YES to God.





Have you ever had a question that was so BIG and so important that you thought you were just gonna die if you didn't find an answer to it?





Well I did and so do lots of Christians. The question? Easy.


Question: I love the Lord and I want Him to use me. I have no idea what my calling in life is or what God wants me to do. I read, I study, I love God, I love Jesus but still I don't know God's will for me. What should I do? How do I know what I should be doing? I pray, I wait, but no answer. Does this mean that God doesn't want to use me? Does the lack of my knowing God's will for me mean that I won't be faithful with what God calls me to do and He knows this so He just doesn't call me to anything?





Oh Satan, you clever clever jerk.





I can't even begin to say how many times I have wondered the above things. Talked to my pastors even about it. Just pray they say. So I did. I have also heard these things from a farkzillion men and women. All the time the answer was so obvious. It was so obvious that I am still embarrassed that I could not figure it out for myself and I laughed like a crazed lunatic cow when Lysa gave me the answer to the questions above.





The answer!! I have the answer people!! Years of waiting, oy vey. This conference gave me the chance to ask Lysa TerKeurst this question and she actually answered it.





This is what she said:


She said it is a rare thing that God just suddenly reveals His big plans for us. He won't just say "Jennifer I want you to start a Bible Study for teens and this is what you should do and it will be wonderful". God reveals his plans for us slowly more often than not. She said to take each day and anticipate Him and say "Yes" to God. She said a wonderful prayer we could pray basically telling God each morning that we love Him and that we are eagerly anticipating Him today and that today I say "YES" to Him. I submit my life to you and I want you to live through me today. Show me your will for me today and I say "YES" to you.


She told me that if I just take each day to anticipate Him and be willing to say yes to whatever it is that I feel the Holy Spirit moving me to do and be obedient then God will reveal His will for me. It is through these small daily acts of obedience and faithfulness that we become more in tune with His will. When God sees you actually stepping out and saying "YES" to Him daily and being obedient with the small things He will use that. Through our daily obedience of saying "YES" to the small things each day God will guide us along to the bigger things. We need to stop worrying about what God has called us to in the big picture of His plans for us. Start small. Listen for what the Holy Spirit guides you to do. She gave an example of helping a lady crying in the Star Bucks, she felt compelled to help and she did. She was obedient. Do you see someone in need in Target? Do you feel a prompting to do something for them? Do it. Be obedient in those daily small things God has asked you to do and He will take you to where He wants you to be and do. She said often when God is going to move you to the next step He will give you these thoughts or visions of something and then the people in your life will then bring these same new things up to you as a confirmation of what God is telling you to do. Often doors will start opening and that is God showing you His will. Start small and be obedient with that. Anticipate Him each day. Tell him those two things each day. Say "YES" to His will each day and then actually go do it.





That's it? Oh sweet pickles, why is this not being preached from every single pulpit in the world? Why is this not plastered all over the walls of Churches? Are you kidding me? All this time I have been waiting on some grand master plan that God has for me. Well, I guess I'm just not called to do anything but be a wife and mother (which is fine, don't get me wrong). God hasn't shown me what I am supposed to be doing with my life. Wah wah wah. This is what I was thinking. All this time God has been waiting for me to just get off my duff and say "YES LORD. Where are we going and what are we doing today?". I posted that phrase sometime last year after reading Grace Walk when I was learning more about resting in Christ. Now the words "Where are we going and what are we doing today Lord." have so much more meaning. I really get that more now. The person who first said this wasn't focused on the big picture of his calling from God. He just daily said "Good morning Lord. What are we going to do today?" Then he stayed tuned in to God, tuned in to the Holy Spirit and when he felt moved to do something I'll bet he did it.





You know, I am a much better speaker than a writer. I hope this is getting across correctly. So I have waited a little bit to post about this because I actually wanted to see how easy/hard this would be and give it a go. I have told God each morning that I am anticipating seeing Him today. Today I just want to say "YES" to your will for me today Lord. Please guide me and live through me today. God has been faithful to my words. We have started small. Sometimes it was the kids that needed a kind word. Sometimes it was the hubby, which God gave me a rare privilege involving God with the man. Thanks Lord. I will say though that it is easy to tune him out and just go about my day. Do you know what happened the first 3 days I said "YES" to Him? People were ministering to me. Yep. I think God was showing me how meaningful little things are. Twice in long lines a new cashier opened up in both places and all of the people told me to go first even though in both cases I was the last person in line. I told them, no please you were ahead of me. They all & I mean all of the people in the long lines said for me to go first. Okay y'all, you know that was God! My teen ministered much kindness to me too. For 3 days I had sheer pure kindness from my family and total strangers poured out on me. So I say "Yes" Lord, come and live in me each day. Each day I just want to be and do whatever you need me to do.





That is my calling. Period. And if he chooses to take my obedience and faithfulness to a new and higher level then he does.


Saying "YES" to God is the only thing I need to be focused on daily. Listening to him so I don't miss out. It's pretty easy to get caught up in our lives and tune God out. He will build on my yeses and take me to new heights through that daily obedience.





Why do we always assume that God's will for us is something big. It's a "calling". What if our calling is to just say "YES" to him on a daily basis and do on that day whatever he asks us to. What if we were all told that is what God's will is for you. Now go do it. How many more people would be tuning in to see what God is desiring for them every single day instead of waiting on some big task God has for us to do. How much more would we all be talking to God, focusing on Jesus each day? Why haven't I ever heard this before? Has anybody ever heard this before? I've been in Church my whole life and never heard this. And it was so simple. Yep, I laughed like a mad crazed cow. Huge huge huge for me.





Was this helpful to anyone? If it was please let me know. No I'm not tryin to get comments. I'm just truly interested and hoping that Lysa's words were helpful to someone else.





Love y'all!!