God will empower you to do what you have been called to do, not anything you might want to do.

God will empower you to do what you have been called to do, not anything you might want to do. I came across this statement in my reading for Exodus 17 where the Hebrew people are testing God by demanding proof, once again, that God is with them. I found the statement intriguing. So often perhaps we think that God will empower us to do everything we want to do, but by this statement, that may not be the case. God empowers us, but empowers us to do what God wants us to do. As we look to be doing God's work, as we look to discovering God's will for our lives, as we look to what we should be doing in life, this is a great tool. As doors open, opportunities come, our gifts and efforts are affirmed, we find that we are a part of God's plan for our lives.

For several years, I wondered if I was doing what God wanted me to do. As classes came that dealt with the topic of the will of God, as books were recommended that dealt with the topic of the will of God, as opportunities came in terms of service, I delved into them hoping to discover the will of God for my life. I learned more about myself, my gifts, my strengths. I also learned more about my weaknesses, those areas that I am not gifted, and areas in which I needed to grow.

I find myself relying more and more on God empowering me, working through me in spite of me. Life becomes less and less about me and more and more about God. I used to think the person of I would disappear, but that's not true. When God is working, the person of I becomes more whole, more content, more aware that success and acceptance are not as important.

It's also a great comfort that, when God calls us to do something, God will empower us. The success of what we are to be doing does not rest on ourselves but on God. And certainly God can and will succeed.

One of the things I struggle with now is patience, the patience to allow God to empower, to work, to succeed, and to realize that everything I do will be blessed and worked through by God. Even my mistakes. That's a huge relief.