Have you ever felt stuck, wrestling with indecision? Recently, I witnessed a simple moment that carried a surprisingly powerful lesson for me.
Last week, on my way to work, I was stopped at a red light on a fairly busy road. A short distance in front of me, I noticed a little squirrel on the side of the street. It was clearly wrestling in its tiny mind about when to cross. It would dart forward a couple of feet, then quickly retreat. Forward again. Back again. I counted—it must have done this at least seven or eight times while I sat there waiting for the light to change.
As I sat in my car, curiously watching this little squirrel wrestle with its decision, the traffic light turned green and I eased forward. Just then, in my rear view mirror, I caught sight of and heard a gray sports sedan barreling down the lane next to me—the lane closest to the squirrel’s side of the road. In that instant, the squirrel made up its mind and bolted straight across the road. Whatever fear or hesitation had kept it frozen moments ago had disappeared. Faced with possible danger, its indecisiveness turned into action.
How Do You Respond When Jesus Gives You a Directive?
That little squirrel reminded me so much of how we can be when Jesus gives us a directive. Sometimes the instruction from God is clear as day, but we still hesitate. We wrestle with the when and the how, and we move back and forth instead of straight forward. And often, it’s not until we feel the pressure of circumstances “barreling down” on us that we finally move.
The truth is, there’s nothing wrong with asking God for additional guidance or even admitting that you’re afraid. Scripture is full of examples where God’s people wrestled with fear or uncertainty. Peter himself denied knowing Jesus three times out of fear before the rooster crowed (Mark 14:30). Yet God, in His mercy, understood Peter’s fear and forgave him. Gideon also struggled with fear when God called him to lead Israel against their enemies. He questioned God’s presence, asked for repeated signs, and even obeyed at times under the cover of night. Yet God did not cast him aside—He patiently strengthened Gideon’s faith until he was ready to move forward (Judges 6-7). Moses was hesitant to confront Pharaoh because he feared he wasn’t eloquent enough (Exodus 3–4). Esther was initially fearful to approach the king (her husband) to intercede on behalf of her people because it could cost her life (Esther 4:11–16).
Like Peter, Gideon, Moses, Esther, and others, God doesn’t disqualify us because of our fear; instead, God meets us in our weakness and turns us into vessels of courage. We serve a God who not only knows our pain—He knows our fears.
Your Call to Action
If you know God has called you to do something, don’t wait until life forces your hand. Don’t be like the little squirrel, darting back and forth in indecision. Instead, take your fears to God. Talk to Him honestly, and keep talking until you have His peace about how to proceed.
If you found this helpful, you might also enjoy: Balancing Faith and Daily Life
Power Verse
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. – 2 Timothy 1:7
This is an awesome blog post. That’s a great visual with the squirrel and the road to cross. The roads of life are scary without Jesus by our sides. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much! I’m glad the squirrel story connected with you—it was such a simple moment, but God really used it to remind me how much we need Him every day. And you are so right, “the roads of life are scary without Jesus by our side,” and walking with us. I truly appreciate you reading and sharing your thoughts!
This is so insightful, you can tell the Holy Sprit resides in you. Shalom ❤️🙏
You have blessed me this evening. I am so thankful that what God has put in my heart to share is blessing someone.