It is ok to not know what to do. God is the most patient with us. He is giving us all time and space to change and come to Him in repentance. When we make going to Him a regular part of our lives we will find that not knowing what to do becomes a smaller part of our lives. Going to God as a habitual act will fill our lives up more than can be described. This is when we learn that God is never slow about anything we pray for. Rather we learn patience from the master of patience. We gain gratitude for the time to be grown and stretched for the plans He has for us. If He were to give us what we prayed for on the world's timeline we would never be prepared. It is His patience that we comprehend as slowness that prepares us for what is to come.
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
2 Peter 3:9 NIV
So what happens when we do things God’s way? When we are patient and work in the waiting we gain the fruits of the Spirit. Love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control are developed in us. These are the things that can only be developed and matured in us if we go to Him. This way of living requires our continual attention in order to become fully developed in what we are called to be. The fruits of the Spirit are only consistently attainable when we decide to do life with God. Doing life this way is counter to the world’s advice, because it requires us to grow and build more intentionally in the endeavors of our lives. Instead of rapid and without thought to His plans. The world is only concerned with exploiting our ambition as it draws attention away from God. Not knowing what to do is by design. This is so we come to our Father in heaven, build a relationship of trust with Him and He can help us direct our energies wisely.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Galatians 5:22-23 NIV
Considerations for your planner:
- How long is your patience? Is it something you need to work on? Write down the areas of your life that patience is hard to come by.
- Write down the fruits of the Spirit. Do you have all of them and enough of each of them in all the areas of your life?
A Story of the Fear of Missing Out:
Having a career has been important to me since before college. I saw my mom struggle to keep a job for very long. Watching her change jobs frequently or even have more than one job at a time hurt my heart. I did not want to struggle like that when I grew up. I wanted to be able to take care of her and my family.
I took a cue from the world and knew I needed to get my plans in order if I were to make a way for my life and not struggle. I went to college, got a good paying job with benefits and upward mobility. However, even though I had figured out how not to struggle, I had lost joy and happiness. I was trapped in a job that did not fill me up. This left me struggling in a different kind of way.
After over a decade of this kind of struggle I finally gave the plan for my life over to God. I started building my relationship with Him. I left my job and started other ventures. Not everything has turned out as I hoped, but each new experience has grown me. All the while there has been provision in my life. I know this is because everything I do now is done by seeking God first.
- Anonymous
Strengthen the Christian Planner Family by sharing your experiences. We'd love to hear a story about God's work in your life. Use the form linked below to submit your story.
