I believe God is more interested in you knowing his will and than you or I are like, if he created you for this, he's going to want you to know. But again, the hold up is our lack of surrender, and our lack of surrender comes from a lack of trust. And our lack of trust comes from a lack of just understanding God's character. He's a good God who's a good shepherd. He's got good plans for me. So Rick Rhodes, you've, served in missions in Grenada.
You were in Asia for 11 years at IGO, and you're back in the States now doing a lot of Bible teaching and things like that. I'm guessing a lot of people know you from your sold out conference and, and other such things that you're involved in. But today there's there's this particular topic when we were messaging before this and figuring out what are we going to talk about in this podcast. And, one that came right up is about God's will and how do we find God's will.
So I’d like to dive into that today and, probably just the first one is, you know, what is God's will? Let's define what we're talking about and anything else you'd like to say by way of introduction. Yeah. So, when I think of God's will, I think, of God's plan. So when we say I want to find God's will, what's his plan for me? So that's how I would define it. And it's a common question that comes up. So how do I know what God's will is? How do I know what God wants me to do?
So it's his plan for us. That's the, that's the terminology that I would put to it. And it's like, you hear about this all the time, right? I mean, people going to, they, you know, they got to figure this out. I got to, you know, or I'm putting, you know, put out a fleece or whatever, you know, so, okay, so then the obvious question in my mind is, how do I find it? Like, what's what's the secret sauce? What's the secret for all this? So what I think is so interesting, this.
So we label this and we say, I want to find God's will. And when you say you want to find something. Okay. You. So you're looking for it. But the I have, I have come to find for myself is you don't find God's will for looking by looking for it. You find it by submitting to it. In fact, I think that often, the conversation between myself or someone who's trying to find God's will in regards to a certain situation can be okay. God. God, what do you want me to do? God, I want to serve you.
What do you want me to do? And, And then God says, well, are you willing? And then we're like, well, what do you want me to do? And then God says, are you willing? And then we're like, well, what do you want me to do? And what happens is, is we don't want to commit until we know what we're committing to. And I believe that is why this is such a needed topic to address because so many people struggle with it. Because we are going about it in the wrong way. We want to find God's will.
So we say, God, what is it? And I'm going to wait to commit till I know what it is. Now, when we have that approach to it, and that perspective, we're trying to stay in charge. And we're saying, and the reason we won't commit before we know is, oh, what if I don't like it? What if what if God's will is some going some place doing something that I don't want to do? I don't want say yes to that. So with that mentality that, well, God, before you, before I commit, you got to tell me what it is.
We're staying in charge. When Scripture says he's the shepherd. Sheep follow his sheep. I mean, sheep follow the shepherd. Right. So we're trying to stay in charge. And when we say we're not willing to commit till we know. So what are we going to do if we don't like it? We just do our own thing. So I believe you find God's will not by looking for it, but first by submitting to it and saying, yes, God, I'll do what you want me to do. And then the second step that follows that is being faithful.
So the first, the first step, if I want to find God's will, I need to say, yes, God, I'll do it. And then while I wait for the confirming of what it is. Because often that doesn't happen the same day you say, I'm willing. Sometimes it's a week later, sometimes it's a year, sometimes it's five years. What do you do in that meantime? And that can be the big question. So okay, I told God I'm willing to do whatever he wants. Now what I do while I wait. You're faithful. You're faithful.
I am confident that these two steps in discerning God's will. Are right in, in, in to me, the only way to go about it. Because when is it wrong not to be submitted to God? Like, how can you go wrong in saying, God? I'll do whatever you want me to do. You can't. Right? Then the next one is. It's always right to be faithful. It's always right to be faithful. So when I take the approach to God, I'll do whatever you want me to do. And I'm going to be faithful where you have me now.
What I'm doing now, you never going to go wrong. And God's a good communicator. So he he will show you. He will show you what's next. And then I believe that it's the peace of God that confirms his will. It's the peace of God that passes understanding. In fact, Paul says like this. Let the peace of God rule in your hearts. And the word rule is the same word for umpire. So an umpire at a softball game, he makes a final call if somebody is safe. You can slide into home and you think you're safe.
The catcher thinks he tagged you in time, but nobody celebrates until the ump makes the call, because that's the final call. And that's how that's what governs what I do, where I live, all that. It's the peace of God. So the peace of God rules in your heart, in your mind. And I don't think we get there without saying God. I'll do whatever you want me to do. So the way I came to this belief, this conviction that this is how you find God's will was just through my own struggle.
I was teaching school in northern Minnesota, and, I had moved up there as 19, taught for a year, and then got married, and my wife and I taught together and, ended up being there for eight years before we went to Grenada on the mission field. But during that time, there came a time where I felt this burden to go to Grenada.
We'd went there on water one summer between school years, my wife and I and and our daughter was a year old, then went to WATER and, and then we took a turn at SMBI a few years later. And the course, you went to Grenada again. So had another opportunity to be there and and really enjoyed it. And both those times we were asked to come back and serve, but we just didn't have a peace.
We felt called to northern Minnesota, to the mission church and school there and and then when winter began to feel this burden to, to go to Grenada and at first, like, you know, of course it's winter. Who's not going to dream of going to the Caribbean right now? Right? And let's just hang it on God's call right? Yeah. having visited northern Minnesota in the winter, I can understand. Yeah, yeah. So? So at first he's kind of dismissive, but just like that, it just stay there, like, feel like.
Okay, so I told my wife, I said, honey, what if God's calling us to Grenada. And she was hesitant to get excited because she felt called to the foreign to foreign missions as a young girl and northern Minnesota's where she grew up. I moved up there. We get married and we're staying here. She had she had to wrestle with laying down her dreams and saying, okay, God, I'm willing to stay at home if this where you want us.
So when I said I think God might be calling us to Grenada, she's kind of reserved, you know, get excited. But as we've been to pray about it, you know, is this what God wants to do? And it came to the place where I wanted to go, but I wanted to stay. And I even remember making the statement, I wish, I wish I had two lives. God, I would give one to you here in Minnesota. It it was a mission school that was going to shut down. And in June, they found me. You know, I said, I'll come. And it was,
you know, that's kind of a bizarre story, how that all came about. But, 12 students, the basement of a church. I'm a 19 year old. They were crazy to hire me. And yet this, you know, this worked out. So we're there. The school. The school doesn't shut down. It grows. We're invested now. It feels hard to leave. Were needed there. So I didn't want to leave there. And yet I wanted to go to Grenada. The needs there. So. So what do we do? And I said, God, you know, I'd give a life here.
I'd give one there. But God said, no, I made one of you. That's plenty, you know. And that's how it is. God doesn't have two places where I'm to be serving him. So I am going to have to come. I'm gonna have to make a choice. And as I wrestled, I couldn't come to a peace, and I didn't. I didn't understand this, I hadn’t studied God's will and how to serve this. So one evening, I'll never forget this.
I was taking water out to my chickens and little chicken house and walking through the trail in the snow, the bucket of water. And I just set the buckets down and I said, okay, God, whatever you want us to do, I'll do it. If it's Grenada, I'm willing to leave to trust you to take care of this school, this church. I'll go if you want us to stay here, you'll take care of Grenada, whatever it is. And when I said that, there was just a peace that came over me that it's going to be alright.
And where God wants me to be, that's where I want to be. And if if we're leaving Minnesota, he'll take care of that. Or if it's not Grenada, he'll take care of that. And it was after I said yes that we got the peace as to what God had for us and what's, I think back to an earlier time in my life where I made a monumental commitment. I was 18, I was at the AC International Student Convention in Denton, Texas, and there was a a mission message that Daniel Howard preached that night.
At the end of the message, he gave an invitation. If you're willing to go wherever God wants you to go, I invite you to come. And I knew in my heart as an 18 year old, that's what I want. God, I just want to do whatever you want me to do. I had no idea what it was, but I'm in. So I went forward that night and I said, God, I'll do whatever you want me to do. And I, in a sense, surrendered my future to God. I'm giving it to you. Hey, I had peace about that, you know? What do you do from there?
You go back home and you continue doing what you were doing. It's like nothing really changed. But God knew in my heart that I was serious. And so God ordered my steps. And at that time, my dream was to go on gospel echoes travel and sing in in prisons. I love to sing, play guitar and play basketball with prisoners, witness like it's a ministry thing. And I wanted to do it. So that was my dream. So I come away from there, I put an application and this is going to happen.
And I'm excited about this. And, but God had other plans. And what I have come to realize is, like some people say, to surrender to God, say, God will do whatever you want me to do. It's a sacrifice. But here's the trade off. You can stay in charge of your life and make decisions, and your decisions are going to be made based on. You can look back to where you've come from in life, you know, okay, here's where I was born. Here's my past experiences where here's where I am now.
And then as I make decisions in the future, I don't know what's ahead. I don't know where my end is. I don't know all these things. But. So that's how I look at we look at our life from where we are now to the future, not knowing. That's our perspective. If we stay in charge, God's perspective is this he looks at our lives from the end, back to beginning. God formed us. He knew us before we were born or, Jeremiah, you know, before you formed, I knew you, he knows my whole life.
And he's looking at my life from the end, back to the beginning. So he sees what's ahead of me. So do I want to be in charge and tell God what I'm going to do or do I want to say, God, you who created me, you who know my end from the beginning. I just want you to order my steps. To me, that's a no brainer. And when when I look at my life in that way, saying God, you just order my steps. He will, he will. So what? To me, what was just amazing is God never let me go on Gospel Echoes.
That's a dream I had. I think it's a good dream, but God never let me do it because he knew as a 19 year old, I wasn't ready to be on a stage. He knew my he knew my struggle with pride. And if if I would have, maybe I couldn't handle, I don't know. So instead of letting me go on gospel echoes, he sent me to the basement of a church in northern Minnesota, where it's winter, 12 months of the year. It seems like, where I was, you know, I'm doing a with with 12 students who, you know,
the morale of the school wasn't good. It, it was a hard job, and I needed to be faithful there. Eight years there, it brought. Then God called us to Grenada. And as we were to go to Grenada, it's like, oh, these eight years prepared me to do what we did in Grenada. So we're going to Grenada and, we're there in Grenada for four years. Four years in Grenada prepared us for 11 years in Thailand with the work of IGO, being a missionary pastor on the foreign field.
When Val came to us in, 2003 and he told me his vision for IGO, and would you be my assistant, help us start, the first thing I told Val is I said, well, I've said I'm not going to Asia because everybody's going to Asia. Back in early 2000, that was a place to go. Yes. Right, right. And I had told my wife, I told people I'm not going to Asia. So that's the first thing Val, Val I’m not going to Asia.
But then I said right away, because in my heart, this is this is the perspective that I live out of. If God wants us there, we'll be there. And when he shared his vision of training young people in missions, like, I couldn't help but get excited. And I drove back from the ministers meeting where Val and I were and where he asked me, and told my wife, and it was just like, yes, this is this is what God wants us to do. And it was that peace of God that passes understanding.
He's like, just confirmed it. We never been to Thailand, never been to Asia. We committed to going there without ever having been there. So when we flew there in October of 2006 with Val, like it was first time, had never been there. Wow. That's a lot of there's a thread here of just, trusting, right? Like trust and faith and. Oh, my. Yeah. And that is and and as people think about discerning God's will and finding that to me, that's got to be the underlying. Our basis is a trust in God.
God's my creator. He knows who I am. I can trust him with my future. And so when we went to Thailand, in being there, I would look back on my life. You see, that's why he had us in Grenada. That's why Minnesota. That's why I was in the school in the in the family setting in Iowa growing up. And and as I look back on my life, it makes sense as to where God has me now. But if I stay in charge. I don't know the steps ahead.
And, And the reality is, is how much can we really stay in charge of our lives? You know, I can pick where I'm going to live. I can pick what I'm going to do. But there's so many things that are out of our control in life. And when we when we try to keep the controls in our life, we bear the weight of our decision. So it's a big deal to move my family from northern Minnesota to the island of Grenada. What if it doesn't go well there? That makes us really wrestle. Okay, at least I know Minnesota.
I don't know Grenada. I mean, a little bit, but what's it going to be like for our family there? How? You know, so you wrestle with that? And that's what causes us to wrestle with God's will because we're trying to make a decision, figuring out what is best and we're staying in charge. But when we say you submit, it's saying, okay, God, you're in charge. You know what's best for my family. I'll do what you want me to do. And then we're just faithful where we're at.
To me, that's the secret of finding God's will. And then what happens is, when we get to Grenada and it gets hard, it's not like, why did I pick this? It's like, okay, God, you led us here. You got to get us through this. You got to, because it's on God. My my plans where I am now is on God, not on me. And that's how it should be. I'll let God deal with... You take responsibility for where you have me. I'm going to be faithful where I'm at. You're in charge. God, it's like driving a car.
If I'm at the wheel, I'm responsible. I got to know which turns to make. I got to drive. See if I got to navigate all this and that. It's. It's on me. But when I don't know the future and God does, why not just let him take the wheel. And I'll sit beside him and say, okay, God, you just take me to where I want to be. And I have found that God just knows what he's doing way better than I do.
So that's kind of my, my testimony and, and, you know, so now we're we have moved to to Reading, Pennsylvania in December will be seven years since we're here doing full time ministry here. And I look back and God used the time in Thailand to prepare us for what we're doing now. And as I look back through my life, I'm just so grateful that as an 18 year old, I said, yes, God, to whatever you want. And I didn't know what it was going to be. But God ordered my steps.
And even though I didn't know, like, here's a secret to finding God's will when I continue to come back to the surrender, God always led, God always led. he's a good shepherd. And I can trust him. And so his faithfulness as you look back is just so affirming. And I think one of the reasons that that people can wrestle with living with passion, is because they're not confident they're where God wants them.
And it's hard to be passionate when you don't know if you are where God wants you to be and you're doing what he wants you to to do. And when you try to stay in charge, you're not going to have that that confidence. But when you surrender, say, okay God, up to you, I'll go wherever you want me to do, I’ll go wherever you want me to go. I'll do whatever you want me to do. And then while I wait, I'm going to be faithful. You can just have a rest. There's a rest in that.
And you're free to be confident and passionate about about what he's doing. So that's. hmhmm the, the angle of submission being step one essentially I really I really like that. I don't know if I've heard it phrased quite like that before. And that's, that's really powerful.
There's another one I had heard, when you think of like, faithfulness while we're, while we're submitted and waiting, it's kind of like patience is figuring out what to do in the meantime while you wait, you know, almost or something like that. You know, I mean, that's I'm not maybe that's not perfectly in line, but that's, that sense there. And at the same time, acknowledging that that's hard in, you know.
So as we as we think about this, right, as we've talked about submission and faithfulness and trusting God, well, let's, let's look at this from a different angle. What are some common misconceptions people have about God's will? Because you will hear a lot of different opinions about this. So yeah, I'd love to hear you address some of those. Yes. And a great question for this. So what are common misconceptions?
The first one that comes to my mind is that God doesn't want me to know it, because this is something that so many of us wrestle with. And whenever there's a big decision, we want to make sure we make the right decision. God, what is it? And because we want to know before we commit, it makes it harder. So, one of the misconception we have is God doesn't really want me to know. And that's wrong. Like if God created you and I believe he did. And if you are unique, there's no one else like you.
And that's true, then surely God has plans for you. Like God doesn't work through chance, through accidents. So if God created one, me, he does everything with a purpose. Then he's got plans for me. So why doesn't he just tell me what he wants me to do? The holdup isn't in God's lack of ability to communicate. God is a good communicator? The holdup, I believe, most times, is in our lack of surrender. So the first misconception I see is people thinking, God. God does want me to know. And.
And because unless we come to a place of surrender, often we don't find it. And I have this saying that I think summarizes this topic. Those who try to find God's will for their life usually spend their life trying to find God's will. Let me say it again. Those who try to find God's will for their life usually spend their life trying to find God's will. And that's out of this picture of God. What do you want me to do with my life? And very few times does God say, okay, here's your life.
What God does do is he gives us the next step. So when when the peace of God confirmed that, yeah, I, I can go to Minnesota and teach school. I had no idea it was eight years okay. God didn't tell me that, I didn't know that Grenada was only four years. And that after that would be Thailand. I didn't know those things. And God, God just gives us a step at a time. So when we say, God, what's your will for my life?
And we try to find God's will for our life, usually we spend our life trying to find God's will in yeah. It's almost like you're looking for like, where's the checklist? Or, you know, show me a chart or something. And that's not really what you're saying is the case here. Yeah. So, so to me, that's a common misconception is, you know, God doesn't want me to know, or I need to find God's will for my life. He just shows a step at a time. Another one is. Well, God doesn't have plans for me.
They're special people that God does. You know, when I look at when I look at it, think about the topic Finding God's will. I look at the story of Moses, great story on how God had a plan for him and how God ordered his steps. You know, he supposed to be thrown to the crocodiles in the Nile River. Why did his mom think I can put him in a boat in the river? And he's going to survive that?
That's wild right? Yeah. How does it work out that Pharaoh's daughter comes to the river at that time, and he's in there crying like God is in that story. So what we can tend to say is, well, that was Moses. But I find that way in everybody in Scripture that God was working through, like God ordered their steps. And Moses was just an an ordinary baby who God used. David. Just an ordinary young shepherd boy that God used, I think a Paul like. And we're we're no different from them.
We're ordinary people. And that's that's all God has. That's what God uses. So some people think that God doesn't have a plan for it's not true. God's got plans for every one of us. So to me that would be a misconception that God doesn't have a plan for me. The other one, and this is a big one, and this is where it can get to be in debates. And I used to be more argumentative on debating this, and that is that God's will is like a smorgasbord. You can choose what you want.
Okay. Yeah. So and this I think this is probably the more popular one. Yeah. And I used to say, you know, smorgasbord or specific will? And I, I knew God had specific plans for me. So I championed this one. And I'm going to argue the smorgasbord when, I don't really argue that anymore. Here's my approach. Well, first, let me talk about the smorgasbord. So the the view that God's will is like a smorgasbord. I can pick and choose and and God blesses as I choose. Well, okay.
Here's why I think that's a misconception. You never find that in Scripture. God never called somebody and said, up to you. I just need somebody to do something. No, God tells Jonah, I want you to go to Nineveh to preach to him. He don't want to go. Okay. That's fine. No, no. You know, God calls Moses. I want you to go back to Egypt to lead my people out. Moses doesn't want to do it. And when Moses gives God these excuses, you know I can't speak good.
Okay, I'll have Aaron speak for you. You know they won't believe me, okay? It gives you signs. I can't speak good. You know, he has all these excuses. Then finally, he just tells God, send somebody else. Now, if I'm God and I've got somebody that's supposed to go back into a job and they make excuses, I give them miraculous signs to show the people, and they still say, send somebody else. I'd be like, fine, Moses, stay in the desert, chase your sheep around.
I will get somebody else who wants to be there. But instead of that, God got angry at Moses. He said, go! Why? Moses was a man for the job. God had created him for that job. So when it comes to a smorgasbord, I find no support for that in Scripture. And what I find is contrary to the scriptural principles of God. Being a shepherd, a shepherd leads his sheep. The smorgasbord I'm leading. I'm saying, God, this is where I'm going to serve you. This is what I'm going to do now. Bless me.
I don't find that in line with Scripture. The approach that, and rather than championing, God has specific plans for me. I don't I don't champion that. Now, what what I stand on is I need to submit and then be faithful. So when I say I'm going to stop saying God's got this smorgasbord I need to pick from, I'm going to stop saying, I've got to find it. I'm going to say, I need to surrender. Then that puts me behind Shepherd so he can lead me. And he's the one who created me.
He's one who has plans for me. He'll lead me, and he's. He's a good shepherd. So the smorgasbord approach, I find no scriptural support of it. I don't find, Yeah. I just don't find examples of it. And it's contrary to to God being our leader. And we as sheep following him. So to me, that's that's a, a misconception in the smorgasbord approach. It keeps you in charge. Yeah. Yeah, because it puts it, puts the individual as like, okay, I can make all these grand decisions and.
And so, for an audience of people who love God and want to serve him, you have many opportunities like there's always needs for, for men and women who love God and are willing to serve him. And so what can happen is, is we can get overwhelmed with the, with the needs. So where do I go? So, you know, I could have went to New York City and serve God. I could have went to Grenada. I could have went on Gospel Echoes.
I could have stayed in Iowa, where I grew up, could have went to, you know, Minnesota. I have all these options. We can just be overwhelmed. And the smorgasbord approach allows us to stay in charge, but then it forces us to bear the weight. Like so I pick Minnesota. What if it doesn't go good there? Then it's on me. I should have stayed in Iowa or, you know, I should have. I should have went to New York City when I was asked to go there.
But when we say when we take the surrender and faithful approach, it's on God. And I would rather have the weight of my future. And then, you know, especially in moving a family, I'd rather have that be on God who sees the future. I'd rather have him be in charge in him. Bear that than me. God, you know what this is going to do to my family? And and something that's amazing. So I'm 50 now. I have, my wife and I blessed with eight children. Three at home. Yet we have moved our family.
So our family started in Minnesota. We had three children. We moved to Grenada. Our oldest was six, and then we had three year old and one and a half year old and moved to Grenada there for four years. Came back to Minnesota for 16 months in between going to Thailand, knowing we're going to go there. Then we moved to Thailand. And they're there for 11 years. Then we moved to Reading, Pennsylvania. That's a lot of transition. And transitions are difficult. what did that do to my children?
You know, I can say I know God led me each step of the way. He's been in charge. I'm so grateful for that. But what about my children? What I find amazing is that my children have no regret or bitterness towards the steps that God led us in life. They're normal, like all of us. They have, you know, struggles, wrestling. But they none of them have said, I wish dad, you never would have went to Thailand or we never. We went to Grenada. They loved the life that that we had.
There can be other difficulties, struggles that can come up from having grown up mostly in another country. And then you come to the States where you look like you should fit in, and yet you you know, you don't because. So there are some been struggles like that, but none of them have said, we wish you wouldn't have followed God in doing these things. We're glad for what we had. okay. So we're getting some principles here and you're outlining maybe some misconceptions or misconstruing.
I think the, the points that are sticking out, especially to me when we're thinking God's will is. Being careful that we don't put ourselves in the center of everything and and make it about, oh, this look at this amazing decision I made and, you know, all of that. I think that's a huge piece. So pulling those pieces of together someone listening to this and they're like, okay, what do I do now? What is one practical step they can do right now towards God's will? Yes, yes. Excellent question.
My answer to that is this take a step of faith, and what I define as a a true step of faith is this say yes to God a true step of faith is this say yes to God no matter what. Again, a misconception kind of go back to the last question. A misconception can be in discerning God's will. Sometimes you have to step out in faith and we even call it you're going to step out in faith in what we what we mean by that is you're not sure if God's calling you here or there.
So sometimes you just got to step out and do it. Okay, okay. Time out for me just to say, okay, I don't know. God, if you want me to take my family here or if you want me to, to to do this ministry or to start this business, I don't know. So I'm just going to take the step of faith, and I'm just going to plunge in, do it. I don't really think that's faith.
That's me taking the lead and not being confident it’s what God wants me to do to me, a step of faith is saying, yes, Lord, before I know what I'm saying yes to, and you can do that. Because you know who you're saying yes to, we don't have to know what we're saying yes to. We just need to know who we're saying yes to. So a practical step the audience can take, take a step of faith and say, God, I do whatever you want me to do. I'll go wherever you want me to go. That's a step of faith.
And then what do you do after you make that statement, after you make that commitment and you can't just say it, you've got to believe it. And by believing it it doesn't mean that there you may not have some wrestling there, but God sees our heart. And so if you can surrender in your hearts, okay, God, I'm willing. I'll go wherever you want me to go. I'll do whatever you want me to do. God knows. And he will lead us. He'll, in a sense, show up on time. God's never early.
And that's one of the common struggles that we have in this is we want God to show up early. Okay? God doesn't do that. And here's one reason why is we get distracted. So the the opportunity for us to go to Thailand while we were in Grenada, it it came at the exact right time. If it had been early, would distract us from what we're doing. But it was at a time where we're where we were at like Grenada doesn't fit like long term for our giftings. So what do we do?
Well, the natural thing is you go back home, okay? So you go back with Minnesota. We were actually in Minnesota for extended time, and my wife was having difficulty with when the pregnancy. So we were sent back, back for the birth of the child. And and you know what? God's probably going to have us back there. And our time in Grenada was to prepare us to come back and being leadership at home in the church. And so on.
And, and we had, you know, we had circumstances, we had counsel or people that were saying, that's what, you know, we should be there. So the longer we were back in Minnesota in that time, the more it became evident to us, no, this isn't what God has for us. And then we're like, so what is it? And then I go to Lowen Minnesota to a ministers meeting and Val says, Rick, can I talk to you little bit afterwards? And then he says, I have this vision for IGO, with the timing.
God shows up on time, on time. So after you surrender to God, be faithful where you're at, continue where you're at because God can take you from anywhere. So just keep being faithful. Your waiting is not inactive like our waiting on God. I'm going to be faithful where I'm at until you show me the next thing and God will show up on time and show you what what's next? So we want God to be early on even with us. God calling us from Thailand to the States for ministry.
You know, God showed us enough time that that we can work out deals, you know, finding a place to live that but not too early, like God just is on time. So we need to we need to to trust his timing in that in and then again allow you want to get in the peace of God and then stay in it. So that's the confirming factor. Almost backing up to the misconceptions is one misconception would be that circumstances confirm God's will. Yeah, that's a big one. Yeah, yeah.
And it's not always so or even common sense. Okay. Now I'm not speaking against common sense, but but when God called Noah to to build an ark, what would have common sense told him, okay, that's foolish. In fact, the people with the common sense were the ones that mocked him. Like you're building a boat for something that it's never what's what's rain. Okay, so, what we need to do is say, okay, God, I'm going to trust you.
And even if my circumstances don't line up, sometimes they do, sometimes they don't. Even if counsel is saying, yeah, we think you should, we think you should. You can get a variety of counselors and it can be confusing. The overriding ruling The overriding ruling in knowing what God wants you to do is his peace. It's his peace. The circumstances may line up before they may line up afterwards. And it's worked both ways for us.
Sometimes in big decisions we made, circumstances didn't line up and didn't make sense until later on. Sometimes it all lined up. We're like, oh yeah, this just makes sense. But don't rely on circumstances. Don't rely on just input or counsel. Get in the peace of God and stay in it. In fact, kind of it gives me pictures is if you're on a stage and you have a stage, lights are shining down on you and and you're staying within that light, okay?
And if an opportunity comes up, explore it, you know, hey, we'd like you to come serve here or here's a business opportunity for you. Do you take it, go for it, ask questions. But when you bump up against the peace of God as you're pursuing that opportunity, you're checking it out. If if you lose that peace, stay back in the peace. You know, I just don't have a peace about it, so I'm not going to do it, or I do have a peace. So we're going to pursue it.
So you, as you take that step of faith, in saying, yes, God, there will be a peace that comes in that and then just stay in that peace. The peace of God that passes understanding will keep your hearts and minds to Christ Jesus. And then that gives you the freedom to be confident and passionate wherever you're at. And you know that God's God's in that. So that's the practice. That's that step of faith.
There was another piece in there, a section that you mentioned that I hadn't thought about and how sometimes we want the circumstances to confirm it. And he said sometimes that comes after, not before. And that's huge. Like I have not I hadn't thought about it in those words before, but I'm thinking back to maybe some things in my own life. I’m like huh, that's that's true. Like before, it's like it's the circumstances actually would say otherwise.
Be like, I think I should, you know, take that step and then afterwards you can look back at, oh, I see, you know, that's huge. And then there was another one where you said, it's about, who you're who you're putting your, your trust in, not what or it's not like you're waiting on. What is it that you're waiting on? It's it's all about who? God. And, Wow. Those are those are some those are some, significant pieces that I think could, could deserve a lot of thought for people as I hear that.
That's that's. Yeah. When you mention, you know, it's who we're putting our trust in. A misconception that I should have said earlier is, that if I surrender to God, he's going to make me go somewhere and do something that I don't want to do. And that's a lie from the enemy. why would God create me and then plan for me to do something that I don't like to do where I don't want to be?
We may spend time doing things we don't like to do, or in places where we don't want, because it's a part of God's growing process. And he's stretching us, you know, I think of Joseph, he didn't like being in Egypt. He didn't. It wasn't like, oh, I dream of being a slave to Potiphar, no, his years in all these things. It wasn't like in a sense, you could say, see, look what God did. But no, God was working towards something.
And so there may be times in our life where we are somewhere where we don't want to be, where we are doing something we don't want to do. But if we're surrendered to God, he is using that to prepare us for the next step. And ultimately, when when we're doing what God has created us to do, we're going to love it.
In fact, I think we're going to be energized by the work he's called us to do because he's gifted us, according to his calling, the giftings and callings of God go hand in hand, so to say. I don't want to submit to God because he's gonna make me do something I don't want to do. Go where I don't want to... no. Because I've so heard people say that, though, it's like, it's almost like this fear of like, oh, boy. Like what? What what is God going to make me do?
You know, I was like, well, it seems like maybe there's, some attitude that needs to be worked on there, you know, or I'm not even sure the right wording, a perspective of God. Yeah. So. Would a good god. Create me without plans? No. Would a God create good God create me with plans. And it's something that I won't want to do. No, that's not who God is. Like, God is so good and so loving. And, you know, one of the misconceptions we talked about is that God doesn't want me to find his will.
is that God doesn't want me to find his will. I believe God is more interested in you knowing his will and than you or I are like, if he created you for this, he's going to want you to know. But again, the hold up is our lack of surrender, and our lack of surrender comes from a lack of trust. And our lack of trust comes from a lack of just understanding God's character. He's a good God who's a good shepherd. He's got good plans for me. I'm going to say yes, and I'm going to follow.
And during these years of preparation, that may be difficult. I'm going to stick with it. And God's got good plans for me. I can trust him. Saying yes to God is not going to be a hardship, a hardship, you know, a hard life is saying, God, I want to be in control of my life. That's one that I don't want to bear. I don't want to spend my life being in control, saying, God, this is where I'm going to live. This is what I'm going to do. And then I give account to God for my life.
And I and I don't know if God would do this. He might. And where God would say, Rick, this is what I had for you, but you wouldn't do it. You wanted your own way. I don't I don't want I don't want to hear that. Like, I want to come to the end of my life knowing that I was surrendered to wherever, whatever, and no trusting God as a good communicator and then following him. And then when you get to the end of your life saying, I'm glad I gave my life to you, God did what you wanted me to do.
That's. Yeah. That's powerful. It really is. And All of this that you've been describing seems to me that it's, it's about pulling the focus off of ourselves. It's just, I mean, just not wanting to we, we get so fixated on ourselves. Yeah. And, and, and the other part too, about circumstances sometimes just coming back to that, like sometimes it's afterwards that we see how the circuits, like Joseph, see how the circumstances were part of this process.
And that's another piece of saying, pulling ourselves out of the center of all of this and making this all about me and how I feel and all of that, if that makes sense. that's a theme throughout scripture. Poor Joseph, I mean, you can imagine, you know, through that process. But then afterwards you look back like okay. Yeah I see that. Yeah. And you know, Joseph, I believe, there's three foundational beliefs that Joseph had that God is sovereign. God is with me. God is working for my good.
God is sovereign. God is with me. God is working for my good. You know, every time in Joseph's story in Genesis, when something bad happens, then you have this phrase, But God was with him. Yeah. And we tend to think, if God's with me, everything is going well. But God was with Joseph through his difficult times and it brought him to back to his calling that he felt as a young man, I'm going to someday be in leadership. I'm even going to rule on my own family.
He had no idea the extent of that calling. You're going to just rule over your own brothers, and your family. You're going to rule over all Egypt. God had that in. But he had to be faithful, along the way in that. So as we wrap this episode up, what is a piece of advice you would like to leave with the audience? Trust God. I'm guessing our audience all would believe that. That God is sovereign. God has created you. So choose to agree with the truth about who God is. His character.
He's a good God. He's got good plans for me. I can trust him with my future. And whenever you're wrestling with that, say, okay, well, who do I want to trust you? Do I want to trust myself. Who doesn't know the end from the beginning? Or do I want to trust the one who created me sees the end from the beginning? Get your focus off yourself and say, okay, God, I'm going to trust you.
And I think Moses, the conversation that Moses had with God at that, at that burning bush, is one we need to pay attention to. When God said, Moses, I want you to go back to Egypt and to lead my people out of Egypt. Moses said this who am I? And what Moses is doing is what we tend to do. We look at ourselves, say, how can I do that? God, who am I? God could have said, Moses, you're the man for the job. I created you for this. That was true.
God could have said, look at this, you are a Hebrew, so you can go back and bring the Hebrews out of bondage. You were raised as an Egyptian. You look like an Egyptian. You talk like an Egyptian. Smell like Egyptian, whatever. You know, you, you you spent 40 years in the desert. You're gonna lead my people, like you. Everything's in line. You're the man. But that is not what God said. God's answer to Moses question. Who am I? Is this. Certainly I will be with you.
Now you stop and think about the question. Moses said, well, that doesn't answer the question. God, who am I? But the who am I question keeps us in focus. Who am I? And God says, no, don't look yourself. The question is am I going to be with you. And I'm gonna answer that for you. Certainly. I'll be with you. God says that to other people in Scripture that he calls. I think it's Jeremiah's quote where he said it to. He says, certainly I will be with you.
That's what I want everybody to take away from this. Well, when we surrender to God, it's taking our focus off of ourself and saying, okay, God, I'm going to trust you. And while we may feel, un capable for what's ahead of us or may feel unqualified if we surrender to God and God's calling you in this, just remember his words to Moses, and they're the same to you. Certainly I'll be with you. And if God's with me, I'm. That's where I want to be. I want to be where God is with me.
And to me, that is in a surrendered heart. I'll do whatever you want me to do. And then a faithfulness. I'm going to be faithful. Those are powerful words to wrap this episode up with. Thank you so much for sharing today, Rick. This is I think going to give our audience a lot to think about. So yeah, thank you for your time. You’re Welcome! Thanks for listening to this episode with Rick Rhodes. If you enjoyed this, you might want to check out the episode we did with Val Yoder.
Rick referred to the story of how IGO started in Thailand, and we were able to talk to Val about that story. I think you'll find it encouraging. It's linked in the description below. Anabaptist perspectives is made possible by supporters like you, and we greatly appreciate it. We have an email newsletter you can subscribe to on our website. And if you could, please leave a rating on your favorite podcast app. It helps people find this podcast.
Thanks again for listening and we'll see you in the next episode.