What To Do If You’re Hesitant To Follow God’s Lead

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. – Luke 2:15-16

Have you ever felt like God was telling you to do something or guiding you down a certain path, but you were hesitant to follow His lead?

I know I’ve been there, far more often than I’d care to admit.

Hurrying is not something I’m a big fan of. I’d much prefer to take my time and go about things at my own pace.

But the longer I follow Jesus, the more I learn that when God tells you to do something, hesitation is not your friend.

This morning during my quiet time, I was reading the second chapter of the gospel of Luke. If you’re not familiar, this is the chapter that talks about the birth of Jesus.

Right after Jesus was born, an angel appeared to a group of shepherds nearby and told them that the Messiah had finally come. He had been born in Bethlehem and could be found lying in a manger.

Once the angel left them, the shepherds all agreed to head to Bethlehem and see what the angel was talking about.

Then in verse 16, Luke writes this:

“So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger” (Luke 2:16).

Do you see that word? They hurried off. They didn’t wait around for another sign. They didn’t weigh the pros and cons of making the trip. They just went. They chased after their God-given promise.

They hurried.

Friend, if you’ve been feeling like the Lord has been nudging, calling, or leading you to do something but you’ve been hesitant to move forward, my hope is that this story in Scripture will give you the courage and comfort you need to take your next step.

I know how scary it can be to follow God down an unknown path. I know a lot of times, from where we’re standing, what He’s asking us to do or where He’s asking us to go doesn’t make logical sense. But if you’re sure He’s the one leading you, then you can’t go wrong with following Him.

I pray that you and I will be more like the shepherds in Luke 2 – that we’ll hurry to follow Jesus, full of expectation as we pursue the calling and the path He’s placed before us.