God Is Not Done With You Yet
YOU WERE CREATED FOR A PURPOSE
I was on social media and saw a post from a friend of a friend. I don't know this person but something about her post touched my heart.
This lady had entered a new season of life and was having a tough time. Her children were adults and had moved out, she wasn't happy with her dead-end job, and over the years she let her hobbies and friends drift away.
Even though she said she was happily married, she still felt she didn't belong anywhere. She was unsettled and felt pretty useless. At this point in her life, she was positive God was finished with her.
COMPARISON IS DEADLY TO OUR PEACE
This lady didn't know how to handle this discontent and it spiraled out of control into depression and despair. She admitting she had been spending long hours on social media watching everyone else's joyfully perfect life playing out. She began to feel invisible, always on the outside looking in.
Many people responded with helpful comments and encouragement. A few suggested she find a new job, take a break from social media, get involved in a ministry at her church, start a Bible study or prayer group.
This lady disregarded every suggestion confessing she didn't feel qualified to do anything, nor did she have the energy to bother trying. She felt that she didn't have any talents, skills, or knowledge to offer.
For Additional Reading: How to discover your spiritual gifts.
WE QUESTION AND DOUBT
This sweet lady had lost her purpose and didn't know how to find it. I understood all too well how poisonous and heartbreaking those types of thoughts were. Long after this social media post played out, this lady’s situation has continued to run through my mind.
I've met too many Christians who went into the next season of life, lost their footing, and began to question their purpose. I hate that so many of us fall for the enemy’s lies of worthlessness. And why are we always so surprised to find that we aren't alone in those feelings or new seasons?
FOR ADDITIONAL READING: Lies of the enemy we need to stop believing.
So let me ask you, my friend. Are you going through something similar? Do you know why you were created, what your new season is all about, or what God thinks of you? If you can relate, let me share some godly truths with you.
A DREAM BEGINS AS A THOUGHT
When you were younger and thought about having a child, you probably daydreamed about what your child would be like, the kind of life you wanted them to have, the areas of their life they would excel, and how you would be so patient and gentle to teach them when they struggled.
You would have created this wonderful fantasy with your unlimited love, limited knowledge of what your child's life would be like, and zero power to make it happen. But it sure didn't stop you from dreaming about your child and the future, right?
God, on the other hand, has unlimited knowledge, power, and love. Just as you thought about your future child and made plans, God did the same with you (with all of his children, actually).
That's right, it's just as Psalm 139 says. Long before any of us were born God was thinking of us. Not as a collective whole but as individuals.
For Additional Reading: Falling in love with God all over again.
GOD THINKS ABOUT YOU
God thought about what he wanted you to look like, those he wanted to place around you, and all the ways he could reveal himself to you. God took the time to decide which skills and special abilities he wanted to bless you with. He spent time thinking about the tiniest detail about you, the overall picture of your life on earth, and what it would be like with you in eternity.
God couldn't wait to create you but he is so patient. He needed to wait because He created you especially for a specific time for a specific reason. You weren't just born willy-nilly or by accident. God does not just love you, he adores everything about you. The Bible says God takes great delight in you (Zephaniah 3:17) and calls you the apple of His eye (Psalm 17:8).
God isn't saying those things just so you get a feel-good chill. He never says things he doesn't mean (Numbers 23:19).
There is not, nor will there ever be, anyone on earth that God makes just like you. You are one of a kind and God did that on purpose. You aren't a mistake or a waste of God’s time.
GOD IS PAYING ATTENTION
You might feel like nobody sees you, nobody would miss you, nobody cares anymore.
But God does.
You matter to him so much that he gave his life for you (John 3:16). That is no joke. Think about what he willingly gave up for you. Not only does he see you but he watches your every move. He notices when you are happy or sad. He even sends his warriors to fight for you when you are under spiritual attack (Psalm 91, Luke 4:10).
If you feel alone, unappreciated or invisible, imagine how much more Jesus felt when he was going to the cross in your place. All of his friends and followers walked away for reasons of their own. How are we any different than the people we resent?
God created this world for us, created each of us, gave his very life so that we could live and he planned the future with us in mind. Yet time and again we ignore him. We forget to talk to him, thank him, or read his thoughts (the Bible). When things are going great in our lives we tend to forget all about him or put him in this little box only to be taken out when we are struggling and have nowhere else to turn.
GOD GAVE US A SPECIAL GIFT
God understands more than you think. Every time you cry out he hears you. He never ignores you. God collects your tears in a bottle because your tears are that precious to him. YOU are that precious to him (Psalm 56:8).
One of the ways God blesses you is to give you his Holy Spirit (Luke 24:49) so that you are never alone. God the Spirit is with you always. He is always ready and willing to listen and comfort (John 14:26).
If you feel you are not enough or lacking in some way, take comfort knowing that God is strong in our weakness (Romans 8:26, 2 Corinthians 12:9). You are enough because HE is enough.
FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS
Regardless of the season of life you are in, your life is never useless. You are NOT a useless piece of trash. God has a plan that only you can fulfill. No matter what your eyes see or the lies the enemy tells you, nobody else has been uniquely equipped to carry out your purpose.
God continually works inside you creating a good work (Philippians 2:13) so that when the time is right, you will have everything needed to fulfill God’s plan for your life. Don't fret if you don't understand what the plan is. You're not called to understand but to trust and obey.
WHILE WAITING
Far too many of us feel insignificant if we don’t have some sort of title attached to a ministry position. Only God knows if he plans to place you in a ministry of some sort. Until he reveals such a thing, strive to bless others with God's loving-kindness. I guarantee you that is a huge part of his will for your life (Philippians 2:4, Galatians 6:1-3, Ephesians 4:32, 1 Thessalonians 5:11).
God builds in baby steps, line upon line. He watches and listens to see if you have a heart for his children. There are many people hurting in the world. Whether you are given an “official” ministry or not, why not determine to be a ray of light in someone's day? Please don't belittle this and act like it's not enough. It might seem like small potatoes to you but to someone on the receiving end, it can be huge (Zecharaiah 4:10). And yes, God notices.
If there is more God wants you to do, he will reveal his plan to you in due time.
DETERMINE TO CHANGE YOUR MINDSET
Everyone's life goes through many seasons. One season isn't better than another; they all have their purposes in God's plan (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8). When looking at the season stretching before you, you might see a lack, a failure, some sort of punishment or rejection. But God sees our life in a whole different light.
What you see as a failure, God sees as you’re learning to obey and step out in faith.
What you see as a problem, God sees as an opportunity to bring him glory.
What you see as loneliness, God sees as free time to spend with him.
What you see as endless waiting, God sees as allowing time for you to grow.
God's ways are not our ways and his thinking is not like our thinking. To change your mindset to line up with God's, you need to immerse yourself in the Bible. When you have a problem, don't run to a friend, run to God and see what he has to say about it. Then bless your friend by sharing your new knowledge with them.
For Additional Reading: Your mind is a battlefield.
THE LAST WILL BE FIRST
Stop fearing that you will miss God or be cast aside and forgotten. God has a special place in his heart for those that are always last or pushed to the back. He says the last will be first and the first will be last (Matthew 20:16).
Keep your focus on God and not on those around you. God is putting into place a plan that involves you so he's not going to forget you. He will move you into position when his time is right regardless of what those around you are doing.
MEASURING STICKS AND PLUMB LINES
No matter what the world tells you, you are not lacking. Stop comparing yourself to the folks you see on TV, in the pulpit, or those you read about in books (even the Bible)! When the apostles (and everyone else you read about) followed God, their life completely changed.
I'm sure they questioned what they were doing, what was expected of them, or how a simple ordinary person could contribute to God’s plan. I’m positive they made mistakes, had doubts, got confused, and followed the wrong road sometimes.
Once they began walking with God, he didn’t take control of their thoughts and actions. They still had decisions to make. If they made the decision to behave in a way God said was unacceptable, they had to suffer the consequences just as we do today. If they chose to obey God’s commands, they reaped blessings.
Without a doubt, you are just as important, unique, anointed, and loved by God as everyone else! We use measuring sticks and God uses a plumb line. He has set the standard and we must measure ourselves against that standard.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Your life may be changing and evolving but it's not pointless. You aren't without talent and skills that contribute to whatever it is God has for you (your purpose). You may have buried them deep down while you were busy doing other things but allow God to use his power to bring your purpose back from the grave where it has been sleeping.
BY THE WAY
Even though the disciples didn't always get it right (sound familiar?), you know what made them so sure of who God was? They spent time with Jesus for 3.5 years, 24/7. They learned, grew, watched, and listened. Jesus changed their mindset as they discovered who he was.
I challenge you to immerse yourself in God through the Bible (and only the Bible) and talking with God (prayer) for 3.5 years 24/7 and not be changed, wholly persuaded of who God is and his love for you.
Try it and see what God has in mind for you!