Leaning Into The Chapter Of Your Story That Is Being Written Now
When you were a young girl did you have a vision of what your life would look like? Maybe you lived in a home, had a job, a dog and some kids, you were surrounded by great friends and got to explore the world. Maybe you lived in the Bahamas, at the desert, in Canada, or in the town you grew up in. Maybe you desired to be a doctor, a writer, a businesswoman, or a barista. But none of or some of those things you envisioned never happened or seem impossible, does this sound like you?
Our minds are flooded constantly with what our lives “should” look like. We easily believe in the lie that to have a great life is to live a “cookie-cutter” life. But the thing is, as Christians, a great life is surrendering the plans we thought our lives would look like to God, and following the adventure He wants to take us on.
It is a lot easier said than done though right? Sometimes God calls us to new places, new jobs, to love on people who are hard to love, and we think to ourselves, “Are you sure, God!?” Oh what depth that question holds. And the way we respond after asking that question is very important. Do we trust that the plans God has for our life is better than the own plans we have made in our head?
You see, what I have come to realize in my 24 short years of life so far, is that I would rather be on a crazy adventure with God leading the way rather than on an adventure with my own self leading. Now that would be quite the disaster. I can’t imagine if I was trying to make every decision for myself on my own and without the guidance of the Holy Spirit. God promises us that in our lives, as we trust in Him, He will lead the way.
“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.” – Jeremiah 29:11
His plans for our life are way greater and more purposeful than our own plans. He sees the bigger future. He knows what our first day of life will look like and our 2,356th day will look like. Why then, if we know this truth, and hold it in our hearts, is it SO hard to trust and believe in?
There are times that I catch myself trying to take my life into my own hands. Right? We all do it! We are human and we live in a world full of things trying to distract us from the truth because that is what the enemy just loves to do! He puts distractions in our life to draw us away from the adventure God has us on. We are going to constantly have distractions around us and expectations that we feel like we must live up to.
That is why it is so hard to trust and believe in the good and great plan God has for our life. The enemy throws things our way, that our earthy self thinks is best for us, but in the end, is not. We must constantly be in communication with God. Is this a part of your plan for me? Or is this my fleshly desire overcoming my mind and body? We must ask God for His mind in all things and to help us discern between things that are of Him and things that are of this world.
Here are three ways that I have prayed in times of needing guidance between what my desire was and where God was calling me to:
- Lord, align my heart with your heart. Place the desires that you have for my life to be the desires I have for my life.
- Lord, enlighten my mind to see the ways in which you are moving in my life. Make it vivid to me the path in which you want me to take.
- Jesus, may the lies of the enemy flee. Free my mind from any thoughts that are not your thoughts. May the enemy not have hold on any part of my life.
Say those 3 statements every day when you pray. You will be surprised at what God does as we ask Him to alight our hearts with His and our thoughts to become His. He does beautiful and wonderful things. Place your trust in Him. He is the God of this world, He created you from dust, and has made you His beautiful masterpiece. Let the artist continue His masterpiece in you.
It’s okay that your life doesn’t look like what you thought it would, my friend. Let God take the lead. Let Him surprise you. He is going to do greater things than you ever imagined or could have mustered up on your own.
xo,
Allyson Golden
