Do Your Part

John 5:1-5, "Afterward Jesus returned to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish holy days. Inside the city, near the Sheep Gate, was the pool of Bethesda, with five covered porches. Crowds of sick people -blind, lame, or paralyzed- lay on the porches. One of the men lying there had been sick for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, he asked him, 'Would you like to get well?'"

Has there ever been something in your life that you've prayed about for a long time, but nothing seems to be happening?

Today, I'm going to share with you something that God actually spoke to me through a kid's movie. Yes, you heard me right. I said that God taught me something through a kid's movie. Have you ever seen the movie "Despicable Me 2"? If you haven't, I'm going to be ruining part of it for you today.

I tried really hard to find the video clip that portrays this moment, but I can't find it. Instead, I'm going to describe it to you.

There is a scene in this movie where Gru (the father) is very sad because the person he likes (Lucy) is moving away. His youngest daughter (Agnes) meets Gru outside in the rain, and Gru shares with Agnes that she was right about him liking Lucy but now she is moving away. Agnes asks, "Is there anything I can do to help?" Gru tells her, "I don't think so, Sweetheart." Then she asks a different question, "Is there anything you can do?"

Right now, you may be thinking, "How on earth did you get a devotional out of this?" Just stay with me a minute.

As I pondered that question, "Is there anything you can do?" God brought it to my attention that so often I pray for Him to intervene in my life, but I expect Him to have those answers magically fall into my lap rather than me at least doing my part and looking for opportunities that God is presenting me with to have those prayers answered.

I'll give you an example that will show what I'm talking about. For years and years I've been praying that God would put the man I'm going to marry into my life. I've got on my knees, cried multiple tears, and continued to wait for the day that some mystery man walks into my life and asks me to be his wife.

The problem is this: I come across as extremely unavailable and uninterested... especially to the guys I'm actually interested in. I wear my purity ring that looks like an engagement ring. If there is a prospective guy, instead of talking to him, I'll ignore him out of fear of rejection. I put up this defense mechanism out of my own insecurities and miss the opportunities God does place in my life to even get to know young, godly, stable Christian men.

Let me clarify what I am NOT saying. I'm not saying that I should be going and pursuing these guys. I completely believe that guys are to be the pursuers. I'm not saying that I need to take situations into my hands and manipulate to get my way. I'm also not saying that I need to be flirty and try to get these guys attention.

What I'm saying is that when I pray for God to put a godly man into my life and someone happens to come along who is single, godly, and prospective not only in my eyes but also in God's eyes, I should at least not act like I hate the guy in an attempt to protect my heart.

There is a sermon where Joyce Meyer shares about the man in the verse I wrote at the beginning of this devotional. She talks about how this man who laid on the porch at the pool of Bethesda was there for 38 years, but he laid there all that time waiting for someone else to put him in the pool. Although he may not have been able to do a lot, she says that in 38 years, he could've done a lot of wiggling to make it over to that pool. When Jesus walked by this man, He asked him a question that almost sounds silly, "Would you like to get well?" My first response to that would be sarcasm. "Oh, no, I think I'd like to lay here another 38 years." Through Joyce Meyer's sermon, however, I see the reason behind why Jesus would've asked that question. The man was there for such a long time. If he really wanted to get well, wouldn't it seem like he would've at least done what he could to make it over to the pool?

That question is a question I believe I'm wrestling with in my own heart today. I can imagine Jesus asking me, "Taylor, you've been praying about having Me put a godly man in your life to marry for years. Do you really want a godly man in your life?"

It's easy to point fingers and come up with all the excuses as to why it's not my fault I'm still in this situation just as it was easy for the man at the pool of Bethesda to cry, "No one will put me in."

My cries look a little different: "No one serving You has asked me out, and I don't agree with girls being the pursuer." "I don't want to be rejected." "They seem to like someone else anyway." On and on I go with the list of excuses, and God lays on my heart, "Is what you're praying for really what you want?" Uh, YEAH!

This is what I believe God is showing me about my situation: Do your part.

How do I believe God wants me to do my part? Stop giving off every impression that I'm unavailable and uninterested. No, I don't believe I'm supposed to be a flirt, but saying hi to someone next to me and striking up a conversation I don't believe is going to kill me. Keeping my commitment to purity but not wearing a ring that makes it look as if I'm engaged could probably help too.

What is God asking you to do your part in? It could be in any number of things. Do you really want to get out of debt? Do you really want to be healthier? Do you really want a deeper relationship with God?

Here's the word for today: Do your part.

Dear Heavenly Father,

It's amazing to me the things You'll use to get my attention, including children's movies. Lord, I don't want to go to the extreme of taking matters into my own hands and being manipulative, but I do want to make sure I'm doing my part when it comes to the things I'm praying about in my life. Help me have a healthy balance between allowing You to be leading me and me still doing my part when You present opportunities in my life. In Jesus' Name.

Amen.