By: Amy Chandler
Most of us want to know what God’s will for our lives is. I have spent the last couple of years searching for answers, and trying to discover His plan for me. I continue praying daily for God to lead me where He wants me to go. I have come to realize that His will for me is not something that I wake up one day, and achieve. It is a lifelong pursuit of the purpose that He has for me. The closer my walk with Him is, the more He reveals to me. And regardless of what He shows me, I need to trust Him!
Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.
Before surrendering, I tried doing things my way. Living on self-will kept me from living in my purpose. I spent many years in addiction, being consumed by anger, guilt, and shame. I didn’t know what it was to be happy. I was so self-absorbed that I couldn’t accept the fact that there was a power greater than myself even amidst some of the hardest trials that I have ever faced. After being brought to my knees, and committing my life to being a Christian, things began to change. When I surrendered my will to Him, He began directing my steps.
Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
When I was young, I didn’t really understand God’s Word. I thought that the Bible was an old book that didn’t apply to me. After all, it’s thousands of years old, how could it possibly be relevant today? During church one Sunday, the pastor challenged everyone to meditate on scripture. I honestly had no idea what that even meant at the time. I even googled what meditation meant. I finally found what works for me, and started reading different scriptures. I prayed for God to reveal to me what He wanted me to see. And He wanted me to see a lot. Right there in scripture was part of His will for me!
1 Peter 4:10 As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
We were all created on purpose for a purpose. When we were formed in our mother’s wombs, God already had a plan for our life. We all have special gifts that He wants us to use to fulfill His will. Our calling is something that we are already good at.
I still don’t have it all figured out. I am working on aligning myself with His will every day. A couple of things that I have learned on the journey to find my purpose is that if something is not of God, or if the door closes on something that I am pursuing, then it is not part of His plan.
I will leave you with this! Whatever He has for me (and for you) is good! We just need to trust Him! God loves you so much!
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.”