Hindsight is 20/20
Written by Allison Erlewine
Is there something weighing on your heart that you want to do or accomplish, but haven’t yet? Is it something that keeps coming up in conversations? Do you run across subtle hints that are gentle reminders of it?
Well, friend, it could be part of your God-given calling.
You have had a calling and a purpose from the very start, and you have natural talents and abilities that were given to you to fulfill it. I love how this idea is expressed in Jeremiah 1:5 from The Message: “Before I shaped you in the womb, I knew all about you. Before you saw the light of day, I had holy plans for you” (The Message, Jeremiah 1:5). I like to imagine God delivering my calling in an Amazon package, right to my doorstep: not only does it have my calling inside, but it also comes with all of the needed pieces and instructions. It is all right there – but I have to be sure to open the whole package, or I might miss an important piece!
Is it just me, or do other people tend to toss their Amazon packages to the side too? Most of the time, the box sits there because I don’t have time to open it or I don’t have the energy to assemble whatever is inside. Sometimes I even forget about the package altogether.
In the same way, sometimes we avoid opening the package that God gave us because it requires change and growth. It can, at times, expose us to uncertainty and hardship. It’s not always a comfortable place to be. But Friend, even though it can be hard, it is often in our times of trouble that we find the most purpose. He is an intentional God – He will always equip you for what you are called to do, even if you feel uncomfortable.
When I was a child my mom often said, “Hindsight is 20/20,” and I have found that the older I get, the more it makes sense. It feels especially true when I look back at very difficult times in my life – times that made me question why God was allowing things to happen the way they were. When a difficult season ends, I am always in awe of the roadmap He created to deliver me to the final destination – one that is so much better than what I would have created on my own.
You see, the final destination isn’t always what I would have picked for myself. I’m certainly glad God doesn’t call me on Monday mornings to ask if I have decided how the next season of my life should go! Some of my “final destinations” are ones that the younger version of me would have never wished for, mostly because I was unable to see the bigger picture and I would have to face some struggles. If it had been up to me, I would have chosen safer options – ones with little-to-no uncertainty or struggles.
Are you locking yourself up in your comfort zone at the expense of your God-given calling?
Following God’s roadmap can feel scary because it is in our human nature to do only what we are comfortable with. We like to have control of our lives because our limited understanding of the bigger picture makes us believe we know what is best. But because we are not all-knowing like Him and cannot instantly understand the roadmap He created, God calls us to not lean on our own understanding and to trust him (Proverbs 3:5).
To you and I, hindsight may be 20/20. You may have the ability to look back and see how each season was a stepping stone on the route to fulfilling your calling. Unfortunately we have to look backwards to experience that understanding, but here’s the good news: God knows you better than you do, and He doesn’t need to look in hindsight to understand your life clearly. You can trust that He’s got this under control.
You have the choice to stay in your comfort zone, or to gear up and step into your calling. God doesn’t ask us to be perfect, but He does expect us to lean on Him and be obedient.
God has so much goodness planned for your life, and I encourage you to take a step of faith with Him.
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (NIV, Romans 8:28).