Have you wished you could rewrite your story so your life had more purpose? Does your life look different than how you pictured? Do you ever look at seasons of your life and wish you could say it’s not part of your story?
I have to be honest, I’ve analyzed my life recently and I’ve struggled to find contentment with the story God’s writing for me. The other night while walking my dog, I was spending time praying and reflecting and I found my heart muttering words, wishing I could change God’s story for my life. I wanted so much more for my life than what I was seeing. Areas that I was placing incredible effort of serving God felt dry and unfulfilling. I felt dried up from effort seeming to go unused and invisible.
I wanted my story to look like those around me, filled with potential, effectiveness, success, pleasure, achievement and feeling used by God in an amazing way. I wanted my life to consist of attributes I thought were vital for feeling accomplished. Satan had pulled my mind down a road of discouragement, allowing me to drift and focus on my feelings, rather than what was true.
God doesn’t look at our success, accomplishments, our friends list, or our status. Instead He looks within. He desires a willing heart, a servant’s heart. When we are willing to use, even the very little gifts we have, to serve God and others, that brings Him the highest honor. He’s not looking at the outcome. He doesn’t value us based on our performance or success. Instead, He desires a heart submissive to His plan, trusting in Him completely and surrendered to His will. When we feel like we have lost control of our lives, it is preparation for God to accomplish His greatest work in us and through us.
When we’re entrusting God to guide us, we can find incredible peace knowing that He knows our needs far better than we do. He will ensure that we’re on the right path, fulfilling all we need to when we are surrendered to Him and relying on Him for strength. God’s purpose and calling for our life may not turn out as we’ve planned, but we can rest assured it’s for a much greater purpose than we could ever fathom. If our lives truly turned out as we desired, it wouldn’t provide us with dependence on God for direction, provision and sustenance. We achieve so much more by strengthening our trust God with our broken dreams than through the fleeting happiness of worldly success and prosperity.
Psalm 37:4
Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Here in Psalm 37:4, we are reminded that when we take delight in God, we will receive what our heart desires. It could be easily mistaken that when we spend time with God, all our desires are granted to us like wishes from a fairy godmother. Instead, when we truly delight in God and we find our fulfillment in Him, it helps us refocus our perspective on what really matters. The desires of this world diminish and our desires line up with God’s. Nothing may change in our lives, and God’s plan for us still remains the same as it always has. Our minds are the ones that need to change so that the desires in our heart match God’s. Once we submit our plans to God, find fulfillment in Him and not become focused on the distractions this world throws at us, we can find our desires met because we’re aligned better to God’s view of our lives.
Isaiah 55:8-9
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
Can I encourage you that God’s plan for you is not a mistake. Where you are in your life at this moment didn’t happen by chance. You are perfectly and intentionally placed. God has called you to be exactly where you are right now for incredible purpose. Don’t fast forward hoping for better things to come. Your story isn’t meant to look like someone else’s. You are unique, and so is your story. God has you right here for something of great worth. Don’t miss the opportunity to live right now and live your life to God’s fullest potential.
Remain focused on why God has you here. It’s not for earthly fame, success, recognition, achievement, satisfaction or happiness. He’s working for your good and wants you to have hope. He’s involved in your life so far incredibly more than you realize. Trust Him with today and He will guide you with each step.
Jeremiah 29:11
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
We may only see one of the thousand ways God is working in and through us. Don’t get caught up on only seeing the one small sign of God’s work, that you forget that He is working endless incredible things out for your good behind the scenes. Don’t let Satan get you discouraged, hoping you will give up hope. We won’t understand all the miraculous things God is working for our good while we’re here on earth. Our minds weren’t made to fathom such divine intellect of an all powerful God. You may not notice signs of His incredible working in your story here on earth, but one day you will witness the eternal benefits of the story He’s been writing for your life since the beginning of time, because yours is an amazing one. Trust Him with it, He knows what He’s doing.
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Find daily renewal and a lasting hope amid the struggles you’re facing.
Thank you for your blog post. I think we all feel this way often!