When GOD Says, "GO!" (Genesis 12:1-4a)

When God Says Go: Embracing the Call to Something New

There's something profoundly unsettling about the word "go." It's a small word with enormous implications. It demands movement when we'd rather stay still. It requires trust when we crave certainty. It asks us to leave behind the familiar for the unknown.

In Genesis 12:1-4, we encounter one of Scripture's most radical invitations: "Now the Lord said to Abram, 'Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you.'"

Notice what God doesn't provide: a map, a timeline, or a detailed itinerary. What God does provide is a promise—and sometimes, that's all we get.

What Keeps Us From Going?

As we stand at the threshold of a new year, many of us made resolutions, crafted plans, and declared intentions. Yet here we are, days into January, and we haven't started. The gym membership sits unused. The Bible still gathers dust. The dream remains just that—a dream.

What holds us back?

Commonality is the first culprit. Abram lived in Ur of the Chaldeans, surrounded by family, familiar faces, and established routines. Everyone knew his name. The customs were comfortable. Leaving meant entering spaces where he'd be unknown, where he'd have to explain himself, where the old social currency held no value. It's terrifying to step into spaces where people don't know your history, your credentials, or your story.

Comfort is the second obstacle. Abram lived in his father's house, under his father's roof, with access to his father's wealth. The refrigerator was always stocked. The bills were paid. Security was guaranteed. God was asking him to trade guaranteed provision for promised provision—and that's a difficult exchange. We trust Amazon with our credit cards, but struggle to trust God with our futures.

Confusion is the third barrier. Abram heard from Yahweh—the one true God—in a land filled with pagan deities and false worship. This unfamiliar voice was calling him to do something no one else was being asked to do. Have you ever noticed how we wait for others to move before we move? We wait to see who else will type in the chat, who else will volunteer, who else will take the risk. We don't trust God's voice enough to obey when we're the only ones hearing it.

What Going Doesn't Look Like

Going doesn't mean relocating to resume routine. God wasn't asking Abram to create "New Babylon" or "Babylon 2.0." The call was to something genuinely new—not a rebranding of the old. How often do we leave one situation only to recreate the same dysfunction in a new location? We change churches but bring the same attitudes. We start new relationships but repeat the same patterns. True transformation requires more than changing our geography; it demands changing our hearts.

Going also doesn't mean improperly curating the calling. God called Abram specifically—not a committee, not a crowd, just Abram. God knew exactly who was being called and what potential existed within him. When God calls you, it's not a mistake. God sees greatness in you even when you can't see it in yourself. The call doesn't change because you feel inadequate. God doesn't renege on the divine invitation.

Finally, going doesn't mean allowing our insecurities to interrupt what God is initiating. God stood "ten toes down" on Abram—fully committed, unwavering in the promise. God declared: "I will make of you a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great." There was no hesitation in God's voice, no uncertainty in God's plan. The only question was whether Abram would believe it.

What Going Does Look Like

Going looks like re-establishing by re-imagining. The word "make" in God's promise means to fashion out of what was. God takes what's already in us—our experiences, our past, our learned behaviors—and reimagines them for a new purpose. You were a follower there; God makes you a leader here. You had to comply there; God gives you authority to decide here. Many of us have never been trusted enough to be released into our full potential. We've always had someone telling us what we couldn't be. But God says, "You've always been worthy. I'm just helping you reimagine what's possible."

Going looks like moving beyond being to becoming. God's promise to Abram was progressive: "I will make... I will bless... I will show." It's all process language. We're not called to simply exist—to show up and be a name on a screen. We're called to become—to engage, to grow, to participate fully. There's no bench in God's kingdom. Everyone is in the game.

Going looks like believing that obedience begets opportunities. Notice the structure of God's promise: "As you go, I will make. As you go, I will bless." Everything God promised was contingent on Abram's movement. God doesn't bless the plan; God blesses the obedience. We're waiting for perfect conditions, but God is waiting for faithful steps.

What We Get When We Go

When we go, we get to watch God work. Look carefully at Genesis 12:1-3. God tells Abram to do exactly one thing: go. Everything else—the making, the blessing, the protecting, the multiplying—that's all God's work. We just have to take the step. Then we become spectators in the theater of divine activity, watching doors open, waves part, and miracles unfold.

When we go, we get protection through the process. God promised to bless those who blessed Abram and curse those who dishonored him. As we walk in obedience, God becomes our defender. We don't have to clap back or defend ourselves. God handles the critics while we keep moving forward.

When we go, we get to witness God keep God's word. Abram never saw the full fulfillment of God's promise, but through his lineage came Isaac, Jacob, Judah, and eventually Jesus—the Lion of Judah who died for the world's redemption. When we trust God enough to go, we participate in plans that bless generations we'll never meet.

The Invitation

The question isn't where God is taking us. The question is who we're willing to become together. This year, the call is forward—not just as individuals, but as communities learning to walk together, grow together, and trust together.

God is saying: "You've always been worthy. Now go."