The Second Yes

“I said yes to God’s calling, BUT…”

I can’t count the number of women I’ve talked to recently who are currently in this boat. They stepped out of their comfort zones and into their calling, only to run into a giant BUT:

• “But I don’t feel qualified. My own life is a mess. I’ve made so many mistakes, and I’m still making them. I don’t have enough wisdom. I’m not the right person to minister to anyone.”
• “But I’m still waiting. I know this is what God called me to do—and I have a huge desire to do it—but nothing seems to be happening. I feel stuck, and I’m starting to wonder if I heard Him right.”
• “But I’m angry at God right now. I don’t understand why He let this happen. I’m trying to follow Him, but I’ve never felt more hurt, rejected, or lost in my life. Is my pain part of His grand plan?”
• “But I don’t have the support system I need. The people I thought would walk through this with me have walked away instead. They think I made a mistake, and now I’m wondering if I did, too.”
• “But this isn’t what I pictured. I thought I understood what I said yes to, but I didn’t expect all of these twists, and turns, and roadblocks. Now I don’t even know which direction I’m facing. Is this God’s plan? Because it’s definitely not mine.” 

For my sweet sisters in ministry, and for anyone else who needs to hear this:

It’s time for your second yes.

We say yes to the engagement, and then we say yes to the marriage. The first yes is the commitment. The second yes is the covenant.

The second yes is the one you say when things are hard. The one you repeat daily, even when you’re angry, or grieving, or full of doubt because things aren’t looking the way you thought they would. The second yes comes when things are falling apart all around you, but you say, “Yes, God. Still, yes.”

Jesus had a second yes. He said yes to His calling, and He knew what His purpose would be—what everything would come down to in the end. And yet in the Garden of Gethsemane, He still asked, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me.”

But then, He continued: “Not my will, but Yours, be done.”

His second yes. The one that sealed the covenant of our redemption.

Romans 11:29 reminds us that our calling is irrevocable—it will never be withdrawn. So if you are in the middle of a “second yes” season, remember that regardless of how you feel or what you see, God is moving. He is a God of hope, and His love will make a way.

“Yes, God. Still, yes. Not my will, but Yours, be done.”