The Next Right Thing

“He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.”
— John 10:3–4 (NIV)

I have a phrase I come back to when life gets uncertain. When the path isn't clear and I don't know what's next, I remind myself to just do the next right thing.
Not the whole plan. Not the five-year vision. Just the next step.

There was a season in my career when I was ready to move on. I knew what I wanted to do next, but I didn't think my resume was going to get me there. The job I was in wasn't what I wanted. But I made a decision to be thankful for where I was, learn everything I could, and keep moving, keep applying, keep showing up, even when nothing was coming through.
Eventually, a mentor of mine took on a leadership role at another organization. She knew things about me that weren't on my resume. She gave me a shot at exactly the kind of role I had been looking for. And it worked out.

But here's the part I couldn't see until later. The skills I needed for every position that came after that, I learned in the job I didn't want to be in. God was preparing me the whole time. I just couldn't see it while it was happening.

That's what doing the next right thing looks like in real life. It doesn't feel dramatic. It doesn't feel like faith most of the time. It feels like being faithful in a place you didn't choose, learning what you didn't think you needed, and trusting that God can see what you can't.
On Sunday, Pastor Kay reminded us that the sheep don't follow the loudest voice. They follow the one they know. And she told us the shepherd goes ahead of us, that when we step into something uncertain, God has already been there.

That's the ground under your feet this week. Not certainty about where you're going. But confidence in the one who is already there.

Maybe you feel like you've missed your moment. Like you're behind. Like the window has closed.

Hear this: you have not missed God's voicemail. The shepherd is still nudging. Still whispering. Still calling your name. It is never too late. And God will not let you miss what is meant for you.

So keep moving. Even if you're not sure. Even if you make a mistake. Just do the next right thing. The shepherd is already ahead of you, and he's not going anywhere.

A Question to Sit With
What is the next right thing God is nudging you toward? Not the whole plan. Just the next step. What is it?

A Prayer for the Week
Good Shepherd, you know where we are and you know where we are going. You see the things in us that we cannot see in ourselves, the gifts we are still growing into, the seasons that are preparing us for what is ahead. When the path feels unclear, remind us that you have already gone before us. When we feel behind, remind us that your timing is not ours and that you will not let us miss what you have prepared for us. Give us the courage to do the next right thing, even when we can't see the whole picture. We trust you with the steps we cannot take yet. In Jesus' name, amen.

Written by Jennifer Nelson