What God’s Been Teaching Me Lately

Have you ever looked around at your life and felt incredibly blessed? Because that’s how I feel right now.

Here are 3 amazing things God’s been teaching me lately (and an easy modest outfit from last month!)

1. He hears my prayers.

You’d think that after almost 20 years of being a Christian (I got saved at 3.5 years old!), I would know this one by heart. You’d think that I would never doubt or wonder if He really cared about the details of my life. But sometimes, I’m ashamed to admit that I do. 

I know He loves me, but, in my heart of hearts, I don’t always believe that He is actively working on my behalf, fighting my battles, and preparing the path ahead of me. 

Last week, God brought this so clearly into focus for me. For months, I had been praying and looking for work without success. And I had just finished a second interview for a job I really wanted. It had seemed like God was lining up the details beautifully. I had gotten a reference from a former manager, and that led to a first interview before the posting even closed. The interviewers seemed to like me, and they were even okay with giving me Sunday mornings off! 

But, when I got home, I began to worry. Was God really in control? Did He care whether I got this job or not? I was also worried about the wage because it didn’t come up in the interview. God met me there, in the middle of my fear and doubt, and asked, “Do you believe Me?” Humbled, I prayed, “Yes, Lord, help my unbelief.”

I kid you not, within seconds, the phone rang. It was the manager asking if I could come in tomorrow at 7am and work! I got the job! And when I asked about the wage, she told me a figure which sounded great to me. Forgive me, Lord, for doubting! 

If you’re God’s child, don’t ever doubt that He hears your prayers. He does, and He will answer in the best way possible. 

2. I’m not responsible for other people.

As an oldest child, I have an unfortunate tendency to try to control other people. To make everybody behave themselves. Especially my younger siblings. God’s been showing me this year that I need to work on this sinful tendency. 

At the heart of this problem is my lack of trust in God. I tend to incorrectly think that, if I don’t fix it, it will stay broken. However, I gained some helpful insight from an excellent article by Michael Pearl. He writes, “You can resign as chairman of the universe. Recognize that it is not your duty or responsibility to change or control the behavior of anyone other than your young children. Turn the controls over to God.” 

As I have sought to do that in small ways–to criticize less, focus on my own responsibility, and trust God more–I have found a remarkable peace. I no longer have to worry about making other people behave. (As if it was my job in the first place!) And, with God’s help, I want to continue growing in this area.

3. Witnessing can be fun!

To be honest, I used to be a lot more zealous about sharing my faith. I used to give out gospel tracts more and look for opportunities. But lately I’ve grown embarrassingly complacent. 

Recently, I was challenged by a video a friend posted as part of a Scripture memory challenge. He explained what he had learned from studying Psalm 119:47, “And I will delight myself in thy commandments, which I have loved.” He explained that, when we simply obey God’s commands, we will have joy as a result. As Christians, we should delight in obeying Him!

One of the commandments he talked about was the Great Commission–Jesus’ command to share the gospel wherever we go. It made me realize that I hadn’t been delighting in that command or even obeying it faithfully. So I asked God to help me start doing both those things. 

Just days later, God provided opportunities for me to witness to my new manager. It turns out that she is a Catholic but very open to talk about faith. I was able to establish some common ground and share the gospel briefly in a few sentences. I am praying for her salvation and more opportunities to witness in-depth! 

The amazing part was that God answered my prayers! I enjoyed witnessing to her. It wasn’t scary or hard at all. And I am so encouraged to witness more, to give out tracts, and to obey this most important command.

Today’s Outfit:

I paired a simple pima cotton tee with an Old Navy cropped denim vest and a corduroy skirt. For warmth, I layered some black fleece leggings and wore my tried-and-true Timberland boots. This is an easy + comfortable go-to modest outfit!

Let’s Chat:

What has God been teaching you lately? And what is your favourite go-to modest outfit?