It seemed like yesterday…

I walked across the street to talk to my neighbor, and that’s when I first got a close-up look at her. There she was – sweet, sleek, and sporty. I got to admit, she caught me by surprise. It’s not that I wasn’t expecting this to happen, but the reality of it now coming to pass from a simple journal entry is unreal. God does answer the desires of one’s heart! 

Now, I’m not sure what you were envisioning, but this was my first encounter with a sports car – my Chevy Camaro. There’s enough horsepower to have competitors pull up and rev their engines (don’t worry, I’ve never raced it!). And as mentioned above, I have the proof written down that I asked the Lord for a Camaro, and He blessed me with a great car. 

From it’s beginning to when I was in youth ministry to 2,000 miles one way to Texas, it was with me for the entire ride. Since my time in Los Angeles – and as a married man (where my wife drove it more than I did! I wanted to save on the mileage) – it has been a blessing to us. The car has been with us on countless adventures after 7+ years. 

And now the Camaro is gone. 

Why sell it if the car was so good to us?

Well, I’m glad you asked… 

A month ago, I began having this nagging thought that I never had before. “It’s time to sell the Camaro.” It was more than a feeling – it was a prompt to action. 

Therefore, I stepped out in obedience to fulfill the nudge I received in my spirit. 

Obedience is the purpose of this post as I believe all things – including saying goodbye to a cherished vehicle – can teach us a lesson. My goal is to write on the spiritual-filled life, even using my personal experiences, hard-learned lessons, and varied interests to make that a reality; God can and wants to use you for His Kingdom purposes! 

The first point of obedience is so simple and often overlooked. It’s to obey. The fundamental nature of obedience is to accomplish what was said—nothing more, nothing less. If the Lord has spoken a word for you to fulfill, take action on it. Hesitation demonstrates a lack of trust, and partial obedience is still disobedience. Even if this point stings a bit, it’s true. 

Here’s the second point in being obedient to the Lord – you don’t have the entire picture when He calls you to do obedience. 

Imagine how much easier it would be if God laid out your 20-year life plan? Hey, I’ll take six months! Yet laying out the facts does not feed faith. Faith is the only way to please God (Hebrews 11:6). There’s a reason the Lord wanted me to sell it; I just do not have all the pieces together to see the big picture. In time, I believe I will. The entire purpose of selling the Camaro is a story that is starting to unfold. 

When I think about the characters in the Bible, their obedience to God was frequently tested. Abraham only knew a fraction of the information, which was to sacrifice his son – his faith in God revealed that he trusted the Lord would provide, and He did (Genesis 22:1-19). Naaman – a commander for the king of Aram – wanted to be cleansed of his leprosy. When Elisha told him to wash seven times in the Jordan river, and Naaman balked, “That’s it? Why didn’t Elisha do something spectacular? And to bathe in the dirty rivers of Damascus? Does he know who I am?” Thankfully, Naaman’s servant had enough sense to convince Naaman to do it – to obey the word given. Angry and reluctant, Naaman gave in. As a result, he was healed! (2 Kings 5:1-14). 

If you seek the Lord and your ears are attentive to His Word, the Holy Spirit may be prompting you to obedience. You may not have the entire picture, but obey what you know. It may not make much sense, but the God we serve is outside of logic and has done spectacular wonders when it comes to fulfilling His word and His promises. 

Lastly, confide with someone you trust to obey the word.

It would not be wise to sell the Camaro without my wife’s consent… that’s a fight not worth dying for! Instead, I invited her into the discussion. This decision would require the both of us since we are married and are one. We prayed through it and tested the word before putting it up to be sold. We hoped for the best, and we ended up selling it in 30 minutes at a higher price than we envisioned! 

If you feel the Lord is prompting you to action, who can you talk about with it? Is there someone you can test the word with and provide insight regarding your situation? In this way, that person can come alongside you to encourage you if there is doubt, which can happen when the Lord is calling you outside of your comfort zone. 

As of this writing, I do not know what is next besides sharing one vehicle. But this I know – we will save the money from the Camaro and pray about how God wants us to use it. Even if we don’t have the whole picture, God does. 

God has you in the palm of His hands. I believe He is calling you to deeper waters, and that requires steps of obedience. I encourage you to walk in what you know and to fulfill it regardless of how uncertain the future may be. It is always worth it, trust me. 

Have a blessed week!