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God’s Nudges

I can still taste the bitter disappointment of a devastating injury in my football career or when those I loved didn’t share my faith. I felt as if God may have forgotten His promise of purpose.

In every difficult situation, though, God taught me to wait on Him and trust Him with my unfulfilled desires and deepest hurts. Today, there are still areas in my life where I struggle with disappointment in seeing my purpose not come to fruition. I still long, for example, for family members and friends to share in this adventure of faith. When I get discouraged, I remember those times God was working behind the scenes in my life, which inspires me to continue listening for and responding to those nudges. 

Two thousand years ago, a man named Peter responded to a nudge of his own. While he was in a boat in the middle of a lake, his friend Jesus walked on the water and invited Peter to join him. 

“Take courage!” the Son of God said. “It is I. Don’t be afraid.” 

Peter responded, “Lord, if it’s You, tell me to come to You on the water.” 

“Come,” Jesus said, nudging Peter on. And in that moment, Peter chose courage over fear as he stepped out of his boat to walk on the water, moving toward Jesus—and embracing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to walk on in his faith and impact the lives of people around him. 

What is the nudge you’re feeling right now? 

The greatest benefit of every postgame breakdown is the hindsight perspective that’s simply impossible to achieve in the heat of the moment. In the midst of a game, we can never anticipate which play will be the game changer: the fumble that is returned for a touchdown, the goal-line stand, or the scramble by the quarterback for the first down. 

The same is true in life. I had no idea that the phone call or the tryout or my stint as sports editor would alter the trajectory of my life forever. We never know which situation God will use as a life changer. But we can have the confidence that God is nudging us along, whispering, Walk on, dear child, walk on. I have a great purpose for you in this.

What nudge do you sense from God right now? How will you respond?