Have you ever ended up doing the exact thing that you said you would never do?
For me, blogging was one of those things. As an English major in college, there was a lot of things that seemed to be the "best" or "better" way of doing things.
As I studied literature, I was certain that the best way of doing things was a certain way, and blogging wasn't a part of it.
My English major friends and I didn't think blogging was super valid or a great way of doing things.
I even remember asking one of my professors what he thought of people who had blogs, and I remember him saying some people do it well. I was shocked by that answer at the time.
My concern at that time wasn't what God wanted for me or being obedient to Him. It was about what other people thought.
As I graduated college with an English degree, all I could think about was, "what would other people think is a good way to use this?" I should have really been asking God how He wanted to use it.
Asking the wrong questions almost always leads us to the wrong answers.
Blogging was something I said I would never do. I had no respect for people who blogged, but now, I'm a blogger and a writer. Blogging has led me to write more, and it has made me a better and more versatile writer.
I've learned that writing and sharing your work regularly takes vulnerability and boldness. It's hard work. I don't have an editor for my blog, and I'm solely responsible for what is on it. That's a lot of pressure compared to the print publications I've been in where there is always another set of eyes.
I love both: I love blogging and sharing what's on my mind in a brief form, and I love writing long, thoughtful projects that take months or even years before anyone sees them. The end product doesn't matter to me as much anymore.
What matters the most is having a heart that is fully surrendered to God.
We have to be willing to hear what He wants for us, even when it surprises us or even disappoints us. We have to be willing to surrender our way, knowing His ways is always better and be willing to act in obedience when the opportunity comes.
The world often presents us with ways that are seemingly "best" or "better." But I think that God's way is always the best option, and pursuing His way often starts with surrendering what we think or have been told is the best way. Sometimes it won't make sense to us in the moment, and that's ok.
God can't do a lot when we are holding our expectations of what things should look like too closely. But when we surrender what we think and ask for His way instead, He promises to give us good things (Psalm 84:11).
When I started my blog, I was hesitant and honestly, even a little embarrassed.
I was worried about what other people would think. I was too focused on other people's approval rather than God's (Galatians 1:10).
But as I stepped into blogging and into what God was calling me into, I was amazed that it was so much better than any plan I ever could have made for myself. And through doing the exact thing I said I would never do, I've gotten opportunities I never could have imagined I would receive from the blog I thought was embarrassing at first.
Sometimes, God asks us to pursue things we thought we would never pursue. When we say, "God have your way," we surrender our assumptions, our expectations, and our own bias and God is able to do so much more than we ever imagined (Ephesians 3:20).
For God to do more in your life, you have to be willing to let go.
Let go of expectations other people had for you.
Let go of expectations you had for yourself.
Let go of your own plans.
Let go of what you thought was the best way, and receive God's way knowing that it is always better.