Grace and Purpose

"Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4

I keep finding myself in the same spot. I find myself constantly asking God what His plans are for me, not finding the answer I want, getting frustrated, and then I wait a few days and repeat the cycle. I start with faith and I end with a plate full of worries, too full to rely on faith. It's like eating a really bad meal, getting full, and then realizing that you could've started with a delicious dinner and dessert that would've kept you even more satisfied.

I recently read this from my favorite Max Lucado daily devotional, it reads, "When we submit to God's plans, we can trust our desires. Our assignment is found at the intersection of God's plan and our pleasures."

Let's think about this for a moment. What drives you everyday? What are your passions and your joys? What do you love to do and hope to continue doing? Everyone's answers to these questions are different as God created us to value, desire, and long for different things than our parents, siblings, and friends. He created us especially for His use and desires to use these passions that fuel you in your everyday life. We have these longings in our hearts for a reason, they are not incidental, but critical messages from God.

When we begin to get discouraged about God's plan for our lives and feel as if He isn't steering your car at all remember what Max Lucado writes, "God is TOO gracious to ask you to do something you hate."

Whew! That puts it all into perspective! I feel better reading and re-reading that knowing that God is on my side and working out His plans for my life that include my passions, goals, and dreams.

Remember, that there is a time, season, and reason for where you are in life right now. You may not love it, but God is using it to get closer to using your passions in just the way He wants. So, next time you hear me complaining, getting frustrated, or going straight for the worry buffet line remind me to read my own blog and give me a helping of faith.