“’For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.’”
Jeremiah 29:11 NLT
I remember being a young teenage Christian, desiring so intently for God’s will to be in line with what I wanted, always asking Him for things I liked and wanted to have. In my eyes, He was the “big Santa in the sky”, ready to give whatever I asked. It was before long that I realized His will did not always align with mine.
This year, I’ll be celebrating 25 years being a pastor at my local church; if you would have told me as a young man that I would be in this spot, I would have laughed and called you crazy. Being a pastor was not my plan, my will, my desire for my life. However, God’s will has brought me so much more fulfillment and joy than any job I had in mind ever could.
What I’ve learned is that instead of trying to ask God to line up with my plans, I should be asking God to show me His plans. As His sons, we are all called to help build His kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. This means we are to live as witnesses to others of His glory and His blessing. In a world where there is much darkness, we are supposed to be that light others can look to. This was the calling He gave Israel, to be a nation set apart for Him where surrounding cultures can see the influence of the one true God.
But you might have been like me where you have a desire and will for yourself that is not living up to what you thought it would be. As men, we want to make something of ourselves, but sometimes that thing is not what God has planned because we’re 1) called to something better, and 2) what we seek may hinder us from Him. Challenge yourself today ask God to remove what is not from Him and replace it with His will for yourself.
Ask Him also to equip you for His ultimate purpose: to shine His light for others to see. Pray for the strength to build His kingdom and live in faith. If you’re stuck in finding your purpose, no matter where you are in life, know that you can begin, today, to live out His ultimate calling on your life. From there, He will begin to reveal His will for you.
Prayer
Almighty God, You know all that I need, all that I need freedom from, all that I need to grow in. You know the best path for me, but I do not always see where You are pointing. Rid the distractions from my view and in my heart so I can orient my will to Yours. Continue to guide me on the path You have for me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Extra Reading
“May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.”
Matthew 6:10 NLT
“He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, ‘My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.’”
Matthew 26:39 NLT
