Join God Where He's Working

Begin with your relationship with God

Leadership can train us to begin every conversation with a plan. We see a need and immediately start thinking about what we could organize. There is a place for that work, but we also need time to listen and pay attention.

In John 5 (opens the passage on Bible.com), Jesus speaks about His Father's continuing work. Henry Blackaby's teaching about recognizing God's activity and joining Him invites us to begin with God and our relationship with Him.

Spend time with Him before you rush to fill the next page of the plan. Read His Word. Pray honestly. Ask what He is teaching you. The relationship matters beyond the usefulness of any direction you receive. We are people who need to know and follow Him in our own lives.

Pay attention and discern together

Look at the people and responsibilities already around you. Where is someone asking a serious question about faith? Where does a relationship need care? What opportunity to serve has become clear? Pay attention without assuming that every open door is a personal assignment.

Bring what you notice back to Scripture and prayer. Talk with wise people who know you and understand the work. Proverbs 3 (opens the passage on Bible.com) calls us to trust the Lord and acknowledge Him in our ways. We can seek direction with humility about what we do and do not understand.

For a team, that may mean slowing a decision long enough to hear one another. Explain what you are noticing, invite honest questions, and consider the responsibilities already entrusted to you. Careful discernment helps people participate thoughtfully in a shared response.

Be willing to adjust

An invitation becomes personal when it asks something of us. We may need to change a familiar habit, make time for a person, or release a plan we have become attached to. Blackaby describes this movement from recognizing an invitation to adjusting our lives and obeying.

Ask what needs to change for you to respond faithfully. Be specific. A vague willingness can remain an intention for a long time. A clear adjustment gives you somewhere to begin.

You may not know every step ahead. Start with what is clear, remain open to correction, and keep praying as you go. Share what you are learning with the team. Leadership includes helping people see how we listen, discern, and respond as we depend on God together.

Lead this week

Identify one person or situation that keeps drawing your prayerful attention. Consider it through Scripture and a conversation with a trusted leader. If a response becomes clear, name the adjustment it requires and take a concrete step. Keep the focus on faithful participation in the work God is doing.