For me, having and executing plans in every aspect of my life brings me great satisfaction. Perhaps you can relate. For people who are not planners, it is hard to explain how much relief and excitement I feel when all the pieces fall together. This can be on the day of an event I have been planning for weeks or something as small as just getting the kids out the door at the exact time I wanted to.
As a young adult, I had a lot of plans. I am sure we all do at that age, right? I clung tightly to what I expected my future to look like and the career I would have. However, over years of heartache, stretching, and leaps of faith (which if I was honest, I hardly ever did willingly) God revealed to me how my desire to plan and control the outcome could not co-exist with His plan for my life.
For years, as a college student, I clung to Jeremiah 29:11(ESV) which says, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
In hindsight, ironically enough, I clung to this verse with naive faith. My heart was caught up in the assumption that if God loved me, He would allow my plans to work out. Oh, how I was wrong. And Oh how His plans worked out so much better than I could have imagined.
I entered teaching as my first job, thinking it was only temporary. That approach led to exhaustion and a lack of passion for my job. Over time it then led to anger at God for bringing me into this job. Despite knowing God made this path clear to me years earlier than where He intended me to be, I got anxious and wanted to control the plan.
I fought it and even left teaching to explore other career options. I wrestled with God and ignored what I knew was the conviction to go back. As you might expect this eventually culminated in a moment of desperation and frustration at trying to do it my way. To this day I distinctly remember the moment I dropped to my knees in surrender to what God had planned for me.
Now I won’t say I’ve completely shaken my sinful nature to control my life, but I have found peace and freedom in the surrender. My life and career have taken many more unexpected turns since then. But as I live my life offered as a sacrifice to His plan over mine, it is hard to explain the peace and wisdom I have found when I seek the will of our heavenly Father over my own. My gratitude for the grace and hope I have in Christ has led to beautiful opportunities to pour into the lives of others as I receive.
At the beginning of 2023, instead of a word for the new year, I prayed for God to reveal to me a verse to guide my heart and growth. In Colossians 1:9-10 (ESV), Paul says, “And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.”
This is my prayer for myself and for all of us who call ourselves followers of Christ. Seek Him, His will, and live a life in response to the salvation we have received. Glorify God by trusting His faithful provision and guidance, no matter your season of life. Place your future in the hands of a Father who loves you more than you can imagine.
About the Author:
Casey Wayne is a Christian writer and author of Abundant Fruit, a 28-Day devotional for Moms. Casey strives to share her story with relatable honesty, showing how God is faithful throughout the big and small moments of life. She has a heart for encouraging the faith walk of other women, praying they gain a deeper connection with our heavenly Father. Casey is a wife and mother of two, who enjoys time with her family doing simple things like movie nights and cooking together. Her family lives in the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia. Connect with Casey at www.caseywayne.org. You can also find her on Instagram or Facebook @caseylwayne.
Connect with Casey:
https://www.instagram.com/caseylwayne/
https://www.facebook.com/Peace.of.FaithCaseyWayne
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