Daughter of The Most-High King | Fashionista | Creative | Health-Foodie😋
Have you ever been lost? Confused as to what you want out of life? Trying to please others before pleasing yourself?
Well, that WAS me.
I wasted so much time doing things that I didn't want to do. Remember in school when you would meet with your guidance counselor and they would ask you "What is your plan after high school?" Well let me tell you something, my grades were terrible and I was TERRIFIED about the future.
A few years later, I was laying in my bed frustrated, I had just gotten off of social media for the night, and seeing what my "friends" were doing with their lives had me so depressed and frustrated. I began to ask God "What is it that I am doing wrong?" and "Why didn't I just finish college?" I figured at least then I could've been in a different state or at the very least, living in a luxury high-rise apartment.
Looking back, I wouldn't change a thing (honestly). Because everything that I went through was shaping me to become the person that I am today.
“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.
Remember when I said that I did not have a clear plan for my life? Do you want to know something else? I was also neglecting The One who wrote it.
I didn't know who I was because I didn't know WHO's I was.
Oftentimes, I would try to do things by myself, because I thought that I knew what was the best thing for me. But NEWSFLASH, I did not. I spent NINE years, going back and forth between nursing school, art school, and numerous different jobs, and I never once sat down and asked God what His plan for my life was.
I had to realize that God knew me before the universe was even created. He knew my name, my favorite food, what my hobbies were going to be... everything! So then why did I feel like I knew what was good for me? God knows us BETTER than we know ourselves. He is the Creator of our destinies. You see, if I had sat down and asked Him to show me why I am on this earth and what it is that He has called me to do, I guarantee you that my story would look a bit different. But, unfortunately, that is not what happened and it is my prayer that you learn from my mistakes.
Tips to help get you started in your walk with Christ:
"But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who is in secret will reward you." Matthew 6:6
ACCEPT JESUS AS YOUR SAVIOR
This is THE most important step. In John 3, Jesus tells a Pharisee by the name of Nicodemus that no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.
You're probably thinking, "Wait what? How can a person be born again?"
This doesn't mean for one to be physically born again, but rather to be born in the Spirit. When you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you are acknowledging that He walked this very earth and that He was separated from His Father (God). In being separated from The Father, He became sin and that sin was then crucified on the cross. Because of this, we as sinners, are forgiven. Then on the third day, Jesus rose again and went to be with the Father in Heaven.
I love that story, Jesus made the biggest sacrifice that we did not deserve. But He loved us so much and because He died we can have a direct relationship with Him.
DEVELOP A RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM
In Matthew 6:8 it says "...for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him." Can we just take some time to think about that? Like REALLY think about that? God, our Father, and Creator knows what we need before we ask Him. He wants to give us the desires of our hearts, but how can He do that if we do not develop a personal relationship with Him?
For example, if I have a friend who really wants a new pair of boots for her birthday and she communicates that to me, as her friend I am able to see that it is something that she really wants. So because we have that connection, I want to buy her those boots, because I love her and want to see her happy with something that she truly wants.
Having a relationship with the Father is the same way. Psalm 37:4 says "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." God loves us so much and He wants to bless us. But it is important for us as believers to be obedient to His will, so we can open ourselves up to receive those blessings.
Does that mean that we are not going to sin? No. Being obedient to His will means not intentionally doing the sinful things that we used to do. Yes, we will fall short, but that is what the blood that was shed on the cross covered; when we fall, we can get back up again and keep walking with Him.
Another important thing to note is that, while receiving blessings from The Lord is such a treat, we should worship Him because He is God and because He loves us unconditionally. We should not go into worship expecting Him to bless us. He wants to bless us, but God's blessings are an added bonus, not the main reason for serving Him.
QUALITY TIME
Scripture says that Jesus would go off by Himself and pray to the Father.
"But He would withdraw to desolate places and pray."
- Luke 5:16
Spend some time with your Father and ask Him to reveal your purpose for being on this earth. You don't need to pray some long, elaborate prayer because you feel like that is the only way that God will hear you. Simply start out by designating a time of the day to be with Him even if it's just ten minutes a day. You can start out by thanking Him for all that He has done in your life and then read a short scripture in your Bible. Lastly, you can also end with a short prayer asking for God to help you apply that scripture to your daily life.
APPLYING SCRIPTURE TO YOUR LIFE
One thing that helped me in my Christian walk was reading the Bible. When I decided to get serious in my walk with Christ, I designated a time every single night to read God's word and I absolutely fell in love with it. This helped me to grow in my relationship with the Lord. In this current season of my life, the verse that has been a constant reassurance has been Jeremiah 29:11.
This used to be the "quintessential" Christian verse (in my humble opinion), I thought it was basic and overused. Until one day when I felt such conviction from the Holy Spirit, and He began to show me that in almost every situation that I was going through that verse was a reminder of His promise to me.
Struggling with trusting God, dealing with heartbreak, back-to-back car issues, losing my job in the middle of a pandemic, etc. Jeremiah 29:11 was (and still is!) a constant reminder that God always has my back and everything that was going on was all part of His divine plan.
Once I grasped that concept, He healed my heartbreak and gave me joy like never before. I received enough money to put a down payment on a new car, and I was able to find a great new job. All of this was possible because I was obedient to what the word of God said and I had to die to my flesh. But I am not going to lie, trusting in God is hard. It requires daily faith in Him and silencing all the lies of the enemy.
APPLICATION
Let me just tell you this, being a Christian isn't easy. You have to wake up every morning and choose Jesus. In every decision that you make, put Him first.
You have to die to your flesh. EVERY. SINGLE. DAY!
There are some days when I stumble and may not feel like spending time with Him or reading His Word, and believe me, this does happen; but then I think of Jesus' sweet face and the sacrifice that He made for me.
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him."
- John 3:16-17
When you make that decision every day it is SO worth it! The satisfaction, the feeling of identity, the wholeness you receive is something that NO ONE except your Heavenly Father can bring you.
Choose Him.
He loves you so much and He will not leave you, nor forsake you.
Remember His plans for you are BETTER than anything that you can imagine for yourself. Allow yourself to rest in Him and to trust in His timing.
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