Good Dreams... God DreamsНамуна

GOOD DREAMS… GOD DREAMS

Who’s WILL Is It?

Day 4

Was it God's will for me to drop out of my third year of law school to chase a dream in Nashville?  Was it His will for me to make it big?  Or was it for me to be broken to the point of completely relying on Him?    

As Christians, we often question what direction we should go based on what we feel God's will is for us.  Is it His will to marry this person?  To buy a house?   To quit a job?  To end a relationship?  To chase a dream?  To let go of one.  And the list goes on and on.

Sometimes I think we might convince ourselves that something is God's will for us because our heart feels so strongly about it.  I sure have, and yet in hindsight, I'm not so sure that my decision was God's will for me at all.  

We must remember, scripture tells us that the heart is deceitful above all else!  Often, following your heart is the farthest thing in the world from God's will for your life.

So what does the bible say about God's will for us?  Guess what?  It's right there in black and white.  It tells us to Rejoice always, pray continually, and to give thanks in ALL circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.  It also says this:  Do not be conformed to the patterns of this world (fortune and fame material things, pop culture, etc.) but be transformed by the renewing of your mind in Christ Jesus.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--His good and perfect will.  

I believe there is a huge misnomer out there that God just wants us to be happy and for all of our heart's wishes to come to fruition.  Don't get me wrong:  I do believe God wants us to be happy as well as successful.  But first He wants to build our character.  And to become more Christlike every day by taking up our cross and delighting ourselves in Him, and then... He will give us our heart's desires.

By the grace of God, I am where I am today.  Do I still question what my life would have been like had I gone ahead and completed my last year of law school?  Sometimes.  Do I still question why my dream didn't go as I had envisioned?  Sometimes, when I'm having a little pity party.  But then I'm reminded:  Had it not played out as it had, I would have never been brought to my knees.  I would have never truly understood what it means to delight myself in the Lord.   And I would have never experienced these new God-inspired dreams.

Regardless of what hopes and dreams and prayers you had that didn’t pan out to your expectations, don’t be bitter about it.  It's hard, I know.  But put away the need to have that pity party you feel you deserve to throw.  Instead, thank God. Thank Him for the experience and all it taught you.  Thank Him for how much you have grown because of it. 

The classic Garth Brooks song says it another way: Some of God’s greatest gifts are UNANSWERED PRAYERS.

I saw this post the other day on Instagram by #dailyhope. I think it’s worth sharing.

In your:

Happy Moments: Praise God

Difficult Moments: Seek God

Quiet Moments: Worship God

Painful Moments: Trust God

Every Moment: Thank God

Press on Brothers & Sisters!   

Jeff Scott Wood