Gus will never know how many life lessons he’s taught me — just by being himself. A dog.

Yes, if you’re new around here, Gus is our Old English Bulldog. A sweet, silly, and often stubborn boy of almost 11 years old. He’s also fiercely adventurous and loyal. Say the word GO, and he’s in — no matter what comes after that. The way his ears perk up when he hears the phrase “Do you wanna go… ?” makes me smile every time. He is at once both curious and committed to wherever GO will take us. If we’re going, he wants to go, too.

The other day, as I looked at Gus and said those four magical words, “Do you wanna go,” I instantly had a revelation. A God thought, I’m pretty sure because it got me thinking. Deep.

How often does God invite me on an adventure with Him? But instead of instant interest and a readiness to say YES regardless of the destination, my initial reaction is often a bit wary. It might even be an immediate “No thanks. I’m good right here.”

Where as Gus is so eager and trusting that wherever we go it will be better than where he is in that moment — because he will be with us — I am oftentimes the opposite with God. I need to know every minute detail, the where, when, how, how long, why, and answers to a dozen other questions swirling in my brain before I might indeed be “in” or even open to the idea.

Of course, this isn’t always the case, and the longer I live, the more I find myself trusting God blindly and (somewhat) patiently for what’s next. Yet even then, I can’t say my response to God is purely reflexive, as it is with Gus.

Are You Ready?

Another word Gus loves is “ready.” Or, more specifically, the phrase “Are you ready?”

Yes, he’s always ready. Those spotty ears perk, his eyes (one blue, one brown) get wide, and he sits up. Sometimes, he even jumps up and barks out his answer, which I can only assume is something like, “YES. READY. NOW. GO. NOW. PLEASE. NOW. YES. LET’S GO.” His sense of urgency and willingness to drop everything — except for the occasional nearby toy — is both comical and admirable.

And yet again, I often find myself quite the opposite with God. My typical gut response to God’s form of “Are you ready?” sounds more like, “Wait… now? Can I start tomorrow? Next week? Let me make a list first. Let me finish this first.” Basically, I’m ready, but not yet.

Now sometimes, depending on God’s timing, He doesn’t ask us to act immediately, but still asks us to be ready for the moment when He says “GO.” That’s a little more my speed, if I’m being honest, but whether “ready” means now or at some undisclosed time in the near future, it’s not something for us to delay.

Bible Verses About Following Jesus and Being Ready

I’m reminded of several scriptures detailing moments where Jesus lovingly and matter-of-factly explained what it looks like to follow Him. To GO with Him.

Matthew 8:19-22 (NLT) “¹⁹ Then one of the teachers of religious law said to him, ‘Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.’ ²⁰ But Jesus replied, ‘Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head.’ ²¹ Another of his disciples said, ‘Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.’ ²² But Jesus told him, ‘Follow me now. Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead.’”

Luke 14:33 (NLT) “So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own.”

Matthew 16: 24-26 (ERV) “²⁴ Then Jesus said to his followers, ‘If any of you want to be my follower, you must stop thinking about yourself and what you want. You must be willing to carry the cross that is given to you for following me. ²⁵ Any of you who try to save the life you have will lose it. But you who give up your life for me will find true life. ²⁶ It is worth nothing for you to have the whole world if you yourself are lost. You could never pay enough to buy back your life.'”

Matthew 24:42-44 (NLT) “⁴² ‘So always be ready. You don’t know the day your Lord will come. ⁴³ What would a homeowner do if he knew when a thief was coming? You know he would be ready and not let the thief break in. ⁴⁴ So you also must be ready. The Son of Man will come at a time when you don’t expect him.'”

The Old Testament prophet Isaiah also gave us an excellent example of how we should respond to God — whether “Go” is a direct order or God is looking for willing hearts to partner with Him on an assignment with eternal impacts.

^“Then I heard the Lord asking, ‘Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?’ I said, ‘Here I am. Send me.'” (Isaiah 6:8, NLT)

Practical Tips to Say Yes When God Tells You to Go

1. Remember that you’ll probably never feel ready. But it’s not about feelings. It’s about obedience. Saying YES to God even when you feel unequipped or ill-prepared is a test of faith and trust that God will provide where you lack.
2. Preparation is still essential. Reading God’s Word and spending time with Him throughout your day will grow your relationship with Him so that when He does tap your shoulder for a special assignment, you WILL be equipped with essential truth, wisdom, and an understanding of God’s character.
3. Give God the outcome. It’s easy to go into a God assignment wanting to quantify the impact. Wanting to know the end goal. Or wanting to make sure the outcome is really what you want. But knowing won’t grow your faith. Knowing won’t make the outcome better. Knowing will only make you want to control it. So let God have it and trust Him with the details.

Going when God says GO is, more accurately, an act of letting go.

READ how to let go and let God.

Letting go of self and pride. Letting go of control. Letting go of expectations. Letting go of fear, doubt, preconceived beliefs. And letting go of our own idea of success.

Success in God’s eyes may not match our version, and it certainly won’t match the world’s. We are not responsible for the outcome, only for our willingness to put God first and be used — ready or not.

But I sure hope you’re ready for anything, just like Gus.