“But I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I am leaving; for if I do not leave, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.”
John 16:7
Jesus came to launch His God-given mission on Earth. He left so you could be empowered to complete your God-given mission. Fifty days after Jesus was raised, He gave the Holy Spirit so that every believer could have the power of God in them, not just with them. As you journey from the temporal to the eternal, you will walk through many seasons. Consider the stages within a given assignment. Consider the following stages of a season God may use to move you.
- Announcement: You have a strong sense and subsequent realization that God is calling you to a person, place, or both.
- Excitement: You know what to do, and a door of opportunity opens. You are ready to launch into action. A holy energy and determination enter and propel you.
- Equipping: God provides for a given mission with resources, revelation, and co-laborers. He may put you under authority to test you and train you. This is part of equipping.
- Decision: Every piece for the journey won’t be provided— you will be faced with a choice to either trust God and keep moving or turn back. Your decision will involve settling inward doubts, fears, and making sacrifices.
- Divine Assistance: If you could do it alone, God’s partner- ship wouldn’t be necessary. He will show up in miraculous ways to assist you. As you move forward, you will know and feel the Holy Spirit working alongside you as He nudges you, readies you, and helps you along the way.
In God’s eyes, your vocational calling and ministry are one and the same. As you are serving God in all that you do, He considers and counts your motives and mission as service to Him.
REFLECT TO CONNECT
- How would you describe the stages of an assignment you have experienced?
- What advice do you envision God would give you about the stage you are in?
- Why is it important to identify the stages of an assignment?
The recognition of a stage within an assignment enables you to see the ending of one stage and the beginning of another.
