“It’s Okay to Laugh”
“Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, “Will a child be born to a man one hundred years old? And will Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” Genesis 17:17
Abraham had followed Christ for a long time and heard Him say over and over again that he would be the father of many nations, yet 24 years passed by and he still had not had a son with his wife Sarah. Abraham had already left his hometown and gave up everything to follow Christ, yet his patience was growing thin. At one point in time, Sarah looked to Abraham and said, “Now behold, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children. Please go in to my maid; perhaps I will obtain children through her” (Genesis 16:2). Sarah decided that God was taking too long to make things happen, so she gave her maid to her husband so that they could conceive a child for their family. In today’s society, the maid (Hagar) would be considered a surrogate for the couple that could not conceive on their own. Sarah’s impatience did bring them a child but it also brought them strife in the midst of their marriage and showed their lack of confidence in God. Shortly after Hagar conceived, the Lord affirmed that this child would not be the heir of the family. Sarah’s plan to ‘help the Lord out’ was not the plan God had for them. The Lord once again promised Abraham and Sarah a child of their own just in His timing, not their own.
Finally, at the age of 100, God came to Abraham and announced that Sarah would bear a child. Abraham’s response was similar to what mine would have been. Abraham laughed. He not only giggled a little, the Bible says he fell on his face and laughed when the Lord told him he and his wife would have a child in their old age.
Sometimes, God’s plans for our lives seem so farfetched that all we can do is laugh. Today, you might be thinking that God wants you to be a Doctor. Tomorrow, He may lead you into the mission field. You never know where God is leading you, but when you feel the call and sense that He has a plan for you, realize that it’s ok to laugh. It’s ok to be in shock, and it’s ok to think He has lost His mind. You are not alone.
When I first felt that God was calling me into the ministry I felt like Abraham. I felt like falling on my face and laughing at God for even thinking I could handle the ministry. At the time I was just getting back into church after being away from God for over 7 years. I had changed my major so many times in college that I forgot what I was going for in the first place. My degree stated “Associates in Arts” and my classes ranged from Medical Terminology to Early Childhood Education to Real Estate. I literally had no idea where God was leading me, but I did know He was in control.
As I laughed at the thought of leading teenagers in Youth Ministry, God reassured me that He had a plan. Within a month of this confirmation moment, I was directing a youth ministry program with multiple youth groups across the Upstate. Once a month I was hosting a youth rally for local churches with various speakers and bands. Being young and new to the ministry my contacts were very limited. One by one in less than a month God supplied my entire calendar with bands and speakers from South Carolina, Georgia, and North Carolina. Did I mention this program was on a zero budget and all of the speakers were volunteers? This definitely was a God thing!
At the end of the month I looked back at this experience and realized that my God, the One True God, can and will do anything if it is in His will and His timing. When Abraham laughed at God, his humanity was telling him “there’s no way this is possible.” But God hears our doubts and tells us, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26
Whatever God is telling you to do may seem extreme or over the top, and to be honest, it may even seem terrifying, but realize that His will is the only will that matters. He has a plan for your life, and if you will be patient and stop trying to figure everything out on your own, you’ll realize that His plan is much better than you can even imagine.
As for Abraham, He did have a son with his wife Sarah at 100 years old. They named him Isaac and God blessed them over and over again. Just as the Lord said in the first place, Abraham became the father of many nations.
With God the impossible is just another way to show others His power and Grace!
Be patient and trust in God!
Challenge: This week, think about the impossible battles that you face every day. What is your “mission impossible” that you can’t handle alone? Give it to God and let Him show you His plan for your life!
May God Bless you and show you His Grace every day!
