Do you ever get that feeling deep down in your stomach? No, I’m not talking about being hungry, I’m talking about when you get a gut feeling – almost like a little voice inside you; the kind of voice we often fight against because it may mean we need to do something we don’t like.
I found myself in a situation like this recently when I had to choose between my gut feel and my head. It was a Sunday night after church, and I was hanging out with some friends in the foyer. It’s hard to talk to people sometimes after a long day at church, but such is the nature of what we do. If you have been reading my blogs, you’d know that I love talking to people – especially the weird ones. However in this instance, I found myself fighting the urge to talk.
On this particular night I was in the foyer when I saw a guy sitting by himself; he looked a little confused, and I considered approaching him. I had the gut feel that I needed to sit with him because he needed someone to talk to. My head, on the other hand, was saying “he’s okay.” This little internal battle went on for about five minutes, after which I finally decided that I would go over to him.
However, before I could take another step towards him, someone else sat down next to him and started a conversation.
That seemingly insignificant incident caused me to do a massive reality check that night. The bottom line: I realised that if I didn’t listen to that voice inside me in situations like these, God would use someone else to reach out to others in my place. If we miss opportunities to make a difference in the lives of others, we will be replaced.
I realised that, more often than not, our gut feeling is right. Sometimes we fight it because it’s not what we want or it’s uncomfortable. But like I realised that night: it’s not about us, it’s about others.
Go with your gut: more often than not, it’s right.
Godspeed.