Something the Lord has been speaking to me about recently is leaving people to do what they have been called to do and to step into what I have been called to do.
The other day I had a dream of some friends whose house I was staying at and she left me to do the washing while she went off to do something else, but as she left she felt she needed to come back to me and take over me doing the washing. It was a control issue in her life as she just couldn't leave me to do it as I was more than capable to do it. But in the process of her doing this, it meant she missed out on the opportunity that was in front of her.
God was speaking to me to leave people to do what I have given them to do and to move into what He has called me to do. But for many of us it is very difficult to leave others to do things that have been in your arena to do; they may not do it the same or as well as you could do, but they still can are capable to do it.
Today I was reading about King Uzziah in 2 Chronicles 26 and the Lord showed me some lessons from his life in a similar respect to what he was showing me in the dream.
Verse 4: "He did what was right in the eye of the Lord, just as his father Amaziah had done. He sought God during the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God.
Verse 5: "As long as he sought the Lord, God gave him success.
When the King sought the Lord and lived out of the fear of the Lord he became successful. V15 "His fame spread far and wide, for he was greatly helped until he became powerful.
v16 "But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall".
When he became powerful and successful, pride entered his life and he became unfaithful to the Lord.
Many of us when we think we are doing well, we stop seeking the Lord and we start to do things in our own strength.
It was at this point that Uzziah stepped into doing things he was not called to do. He entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense.
V18 "It is not right for you, Uzziah to burn incense to the Lord. That is for the priests, the descendants of Aaron, who have been consecrated to burn incense. Leave the sanctuary, for you have been unfaithful; and you will not be honoured by the Lord God."
v19 "Uzziah, who had a censer in his hand ready to burn incense, became angry. While he was raging at the priests in their presence before the incense altar in the Lord's temple, leprosy broke out on his forehead."
When Uzziah stepped into doing things that were not his to do, he became sick.
Many of us I believe are living in a state of sickness, of stress, of depression etc. because we are not doing what the Lord has called us to do, instead we are doing more than we have been called to do for whatever reason. Sometimes out of necessity but there may be some areas in our lives we need to change, some priorities we need to change in order to remain in the peace we are called as children of God to live in. We need to learn to let go of things that are not ours that the Lord has asked us to do. Speaking from personal experience. 😀
Things that we perhaps are very capable at doing and have been doing, but we need to let go and let others step into what the Lord is calling us to do. We feel like we are indispensable, but it is at this point that we step into pride.
As a leader I am continually speaking to my people to be training up others and doing yourself out of a job, but this can be difficult if we like the position we are in, or like feeling useful, or perhaps feel comfortable in the place we are in, and we cannot see that there are others that are capable of doing what we can do. But I have found over the years when people let go, there are always others who will step up. Often others cannot step up until you step out. Or perhaps the season for what you were doing has now come to an end.
So I encourage you today to ask the Lord, I am doing what I should be doing? What you have called me to do? Because the Lord never gives us more than we can handle and if we find ourselves run down, burnt out or reacting to stuff more easily than we normally would, take some time and spend with the Lord asking him to help you and to find a way to release you from all the stuff that you have taken on that he has not called you to take on.
For me personally, I am having to learn to delegate and let go if things are not how I would want them to be or the way I have done them. But they are still getting done, and in fact sometimes they are done better than I could do them 😲 But in so doing, it is releasing me to do what I am called to do and its in that place that I find my peace as I function out of the gifts and callings on my life.
