How Can I Not?

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

An Invitation

I ask myself that question: how can I not, whenever I wrestle with something the Lord has asked of me?

If I declined His invitation, it could go unnoticed. Those around me might never know. His request usually comes quietly, in the form of a whisper, an interior prompting, or a probing of my heart. It begins as one of those stirrings from within.

It is a still, small voice, and yet somehow that quiet voice reverberates inside me until I can’t help but respond. The thought won’t leave. The prayer won’t cease. My heart will not find rest.

The Lord Asks Hard Things

Sometimes the Lord asks us to do things that fit our natural inclinations. We may enjoy cooking and bringing meals to those recovering from surgery, helping someone with yard work, or visiting those who are homebound. These things may be easy for us to say yes to because they align with our natural gifts.

Then there are the harder invitations—the ones that require us to step far outside our comfort zones.

You may have been asked to lead a ministry or share your testimony in front of a large group. Perhaps the Lord has brought to mind an incident from years ago and is asking you to apologize to an individual. Or maybe He is inviting you to pray with a stranger who has shared a part of their story while sitting next to you at the doctor’s office.

These are the hard ones because we cannot rely on our own abilities, strength, or experience. We must rely on His.

And perhaps that is part of the invitation.

Recognizing His Voice

Hearing the still, small voice requires becoming still enough to listen. That’s not to say the Lord never uses a bullhorn and a neon sign. But in my limited experience, He most often speaks to my interior—to that deep place within, the heart’s inner sanctuary.

So how do I know it is Him?

It takes time, and I don’t always get it right. But the more I know Jesus, the more readily I recognize His voice. It is like hearing one of my children or my husband call my name in a crowded public place. Even among all the surrounding noise, I recognize the voice. I know it belongs to one of my people.

In the same way, familiarity with Jesus’ voice grows through relationship. We come to know Him through Scripture, prayer, worship, the sacraments, and the quiet practice of listening. Over time, His voice becomes more familiar.

Testing the Prompting

When a prompting comes, I sit with it. I pray, journal, let it percolate, and often seek wise counsel. Does it align with God’s Word and truth? Does it reflect the character of Jesus? Will it bear good fruit?

Notice that I did not ask, “Am I capable?”

Chances are, I will feel incapable. That may be precisely the point. The Lord is asking us to rely on His grace, strength, and power rather than our own.

Peace Beneath the Discomfort

Peace is my litmus test as I work through discernment. However, peace does not always mean comfort. We can know that we are following the Lord and still feel nervous, uncertain, or afraid. I have done many a thing for the Lord, shaking in my boots, and making more than one anxious trip to the room with “rest” in its name.

His peace, though, is often something I can sense deep within—a quietness beneath the discomfort that assures me I am on the right path, and I am not alone.

Because We Know the One Who Asks

Whenever I wonder whether such surrender is possible, I think of the first disciples. They left what was familiar and followed Jesus. They had no evangelization strategy, scholarly credentials, or network of influential people opening doors. They were ordinary men and women who learned by walking with Jesus, listening to Him, and doing what He did.

Then, the Lord sent them out, and they carried what they had received from Him to everyone they encountered. And what had they received?

Healing. A new way of living and thinking. Transformed hearts set on fire for God. And the courage to tell others what the Lord had done.

As we spend our lives following Him, we begin to recognize His voice, trust His strength, and respond, even when what He asks feels far beyond our capabilities.

We do not say yes because the invitation is easy or because we feel qualified. If that were the case, most of us would not have taken many steps along the path of discipleship.

We say yes because we know the One who is asking—and when you’ve come to know Jesus and fallen in love with Him, how can you not say “yes”?

Reflection

• Can we say no to something that seems like a wonderful opportunity and aligns with our strengths when the Lord isn’t giving us that deeper peace to move forward?
• And can we say yes to something far beyond our capabilities, comfort, and understanding simply because He has asked?