Dr. Gwen has been leading praise and worship and training worship teams for 20 years, releasing her debut CD “Just Real” in 2013. She is also the CEO of Quality Measures, LLC based in Chesapeake, VA. For her music ministry, visit www.gtpraiseministry.com and for her consulting firm, visit www.qualitymeasuresllc.com

Have you ever prayed to God for direction and then spent more time than you should wondering if you should move forward, standstill, or step back? Well, if you haven’t, I have. It’s as if God has given you a vision as well as instructions for the next phase of your life, but the doors seem to still be closed or you can’t “see” enough of the path to start the journey. Well remember that God has not left you to figure this out for yourself. Praise him when you can’t “see the signs” and trust that he has already paved the way for you to move out.

When it seems that God has you in “holding mode,” you can feel trapped or forgotten and both of these are extremely uncomfortable and can even be painful.

When I was waiting on God to affirm that it was time to step out on faith and work in my consulting business full-time, I found myself accepting another job because the “move out” time had not come in my current job where I was “waiting on God.” So, I started a senior administrative position with full benefits and found that I was still “not moving.” My original assignment in my new position was primarily based on working with an external agency that cancelled the work just when I started. Since my leaders didn’t seem to have clarity regarding what to do with me, I ended up working on back-burner assignments that crossed divisional and functional lines. Although this was much needed work at the senior level, it was more of a catch-all position. After about five months, my meetings with senior leaders became fewer and it was obvious that if I was going to keep my “job,” I had to find my work, justify my work, and then figure out how to get it done without a staff or any official authority.

Honestly, I was like a mighty man of valor in the Bible named Gideon who wanted God to provide two additional signs after being given instructions by a prophet, support of an angel of the Lord, and several experiences with God himself (Judges 6). Just as Mighty Gideon wanted more signs, I wanted sign after sign. However, I found that praising God every day helped me to realize that God had aligned everything for me already. I had enough contracts to start full-time, office space was affordable and available, and more clients were asking about my services. Within the next four months I resigned from my senior administrative position and started working full-time as a consultant. Since that time, God has added regularly to my client list and as a bonus my music ministry started moving forward. Psalms 37:25 says “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.” (KJV)

Stepping out on faith is not about “seeing” the path.
It’s about trusting that God has laid out everything you need, already.”

Stop looking for yet another sign. Trust what God has already prepared for you to do and for you to accomplish. In the meantime, praise him for what you can’t see, trust what he has already done, maintain your integrity, and move forward!

This Week’s Challenge: Over the next week, spend at least 10 to 15 minutes each day writing down what you need to do to move out on your journey. This can be anything from registering your business or organization with the State Corporation Commission, to contacting someone who has already agreed to help you with your vision. Remember: God has done his part, so get started working on yours—it’s a faith walk!

This Week’s Question: “Am I really waiting on God or is He waiting on me?”