Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us” After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
Character Check In what area in my life do I need to get moving, so I can know God better?
In Business Terms Several years after I graduated from high school, I bumped into a high-school classmate working construction, I asked him if he planned to go to college, and he said no. “I’ve decided it’s a waste of time and money to go to college,” he said, “when I don’t know what I want to do with my life.” Today, many years later, he is still working construction.
There’s a saying that “God can’t move a stone.” Some think they have to wait to take action until God calls them. But God moves people who are already moving. He calls them during periods of activity, not when they’re sitting around waiting for a sign. The apostle Paul and his companions were not idly wondering what to do next. They pursued plans to engage in missionary work in Asia when God called them to Macedonia.
I’ll never forget what one of my mentors, a successful entrepreneur nearing retirement, said to me about his drive to succeed: “Reaching the top is not all it’s cracked up to be. I learned I was more motivated by the work it took to achieve success than the success itself.”
The principle is that the journey that forces us to pray and seek God’s will is probably more important than the moment we discover God’s will. Our destination is not so much to find the perfect plan for our life on earth; it’s getting to know God along the way.
—David L. Goetz
Something to Think About The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet. – Frederick Buechner
