There were only 4 black kids in the whole school--2 of them being me and my big sister, Shavette. Needless to say, I didn't quite fit in and sorely missed the bond I shared with the acquaintances from my former school. My discomfort, however, wasn't just because I was a virtual stranger in the racial minority. There were plenty of other factors that made the transition quite difficult. The underlying cause was an undeniable social, economic and cultural gap.
Many of these kids were accustomed to living a privileged life and enjoying lots of freedom in the school environment, which was not the case for me. Our family didn't have a whole lot and I had come from a much poorer and very regimented academic institution. The curriculum at my new school was far more advanced than I was comfortable with too. As a result, I bombed and had horrible grades. I fell severely behind in my studies and struggled terribly through my sophomore year. Halfway through junior year, however, we moved back to the city and I returned to my previous school. I never did quite get the hang of things at my suburban school.
From that experience, I learned that there are different rules, customs, beliefs and behaviors that govern different environments. If you are not well versed in those areas, you will have difficulty adapting and being fruitful in them. That's why it's so important to know your calling, otherwise, you'll end up trying to force some things that don't fit. Of course, when God has chosen and handpicked you for something, it doesn't matter how foreign it is. He'll show you everything you need to know and give you the requisite skills you need to make it happen..
But again, you must be called and chosen in that area, in order for that to happen.
If God has assigned you to it, He'll anoint you to do it. Always remember that. But, if you, without the leading of the Lord, decide to pursue a specific course, you're on your own. Branching out into a particular arena without being elected by God, is a sure recipe for disaster. As the song says, "The safest place in the whole wide world is in the will of God..."
I know you hear me talk a lot about opportunities and how to approach them from a Godly perspective. I drive this home so much, because far too many of us go out on exploratory missions, trying to decipher whether we should charge full speed ahead in a certain direction, while failing to realize one thing. You cannot take over any territory unless it is first given to you by God. Once He gives you permission to pursue a course, even if you're met with opposition, you'll overcome, just because the Lord goes before you.
On the other hand, if you forge ahead, without God's blessing, you'll end up frustrated and defeated, without ever making any real progress. It's equivalent to a car spinning its wheels, yet going nowhere. Who wants to live like that?
I don't want to live like that and I'm sure you don't either, which is why you and I have to be like David in Ziklag and inquire of the Lord about what we should do, before we do it. The Bible says, "And David inquired at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue after this
troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou
shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all" (1 Samuel 30:8).
David didn't pursue until God said do it. Consequently, he was victorious and the word of the Lord came to pass in his life. Is the same true for us? Are we waiting for clear direction? If not, we have to begin seeking God's face and allowing Him speak to us. The only way we can know what He's calling us to do, is by drawing close to the Father, so we can hear His voice clearly.
Today, I encourage you not to get in a hurry and end up venturing into territory God has not called you to overtake. Stay in His face and He'll reveal His will to you. Once you have clear revelation, then and only then are you prepared to move forward along your path to great Kingdom conquests for the glory of the Lord.
Listen... you are called by Him to do great and awesome things. Just make sure He's always the one "making the calls" and not you. "Trust in the LORD with all your heart; and lean not to your own understanding" (Proverbs 3:5). His call is always the right call and the only way to answer it, is with a humble and submitted heart.
As always, thanks for reading and until next time... may you be empowered to prosper!
Dianna Hobbs
