Journeys require signs to keep us going in the right direction. Our discipleship journeys are no different. We need signs to keep us headed toward growing like Jesus. Do we understand the right signs to look for?
The journey to follow Jesus is a faith journey. Belief begins in the heart, not the head. It’s not what you know and how much you know, but Who you know and how much of your heart He has. The Keeper of our hearts will give us signs our hearts can understand. They are not feelings we connect to emotions. They are signs that only He can give. His signs magnify His character.
Peace
Peace is a sign. Not circumstantial peace that removes whatever triggered our fear or stress. This peace comes despite circumstantial distress. This is not a peace we talk ourselves into because we’re supposed to have peace. This peace happens deep inside in a way that defies explanation. It’s the peace that takes us through times without answers. God's peace sign doesn’t make sense against our circumstances, but it makes sense in our hearts where we know God is in charge.
Hope
Hope is another sign. God always gives us a reason to hope. We lose our way when we look for hope to show up in our circumstances. God never promised we would find His hope there. We find it in Him. When we ask God to share what we need to hear, He whispers something like, "I'm here. I know the way. Just follow." We take refuge in who God is and what He knows. That's when hope comes and becomes our sign from God to keep following His lead.
Timing
Timing is another sign. However, it can be easy to miss and misuse. Jesus talked more than once about his timing. He only acted when it was time to act. Certain actions, attitudes, and circumstances had to come together for it to be his time. He never told us what all the signs were; he just told us that he listened to his Father for confirmation. For us Western World time-followers, this is hard to practice. It is even harder when we add our manipulation and control to the equation. Instead, we use the spiritual eyes of our heart as our timepiece. We look for a coming together of factors that are not within our control to bring together. That’s when we see God behind it and our heart knows the answer: it is time.
These are three important signs I look for. They serve me better than what might seem easy to confirm. They move me forward in difficult times because that’s what God’s signs do. They move us toward Him, always toward Him.
Where have you seen these signs and followed them? Where have you missed them? Return to them today.
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