God has a specific plan for each one of us, and often times He puts us roles we haven’t been in before.
The faster you can own your new role, the faster you will be able to walk in it.
There is a sense of ownership that happens when you DECIDE to step into what God is calling you to do. It is a decision, and not a qualification.
If God calls you to do something, do not question if you are qualified. You aren’t. 🙂
No one is qualified when they are stepping into something new. What qualifies you is not your skill level in what you are walking into. What qualifies you is your dedication to doing God’s will, seeking His input on everything in your life, and the belief that He will carry you through. He will direct you to any training for additional skills you need when you need them.
The world around us teaches us that we should do what we want to do, be who we want to be, to fulfill our dreams, and to strive for more and more to somehow reach this pinnacle of success one day.
After spending time with God, I’ve come to learn that this is not His way. It is all about His will, not ours… His dreams for us, what He wants us to do.
As a loving Father, He knows the desires of our hearts, and if you are a parent, you can probably understand that feeling when your child asks you for something. Your desire to provide it for them.
Our Father in Heaven is the same way. He loves us. He cares for us. He wants the best for us, yet, He has a plan for us that might not always be our plan.
It takes a period of testing us to see if we will submit to His will rather than ours.
It takes a period of testing to see if we will follow Him no matter what we will lose.
It takes a period of testing to see if we are more focused on Him than our own dreams.
It takes a period of testing to see if our hearts are truly for Him or for our own selfish gain.
Sometimes these periods of testing are short. Other times, they are very, very long… like the story of Job in the Bible, and the story of Joseph… where he had to undergo a long period in jail.
Sometimes the dreams we have for ourselves are in line with the dreams God has for us, but sometimes they are not. The only way to find out is to ask God for His will with a sincere and genuine heart, and a deep desire to follow His will.
Outward Success Does Not Always Equal True Success
You may look around you and see successful people in all walks of life. Successful professionals in your field, entrepreneurs, designers, doctors, architects, lawyers, small business owners, artists, creatives, writers, speakers, bloggers, politicians, real estate agents or developers, actors, executives, and fill in the blank of whatever field you are interested in, and wonder why you’re not there yet.
I want to tell you that the true definition of success is not outward status. The true definition of success is how closely you followed God’s will in your life.
Often following God’s path for your life will humble you first. Before you can step out on a mega stage or platform, He needs to refine you, sanctify you, purify you. Everything from this world that is not from Him that you’ve adopted as part of your truth needs to be purged from you.
Walking a path with God is not something that someone can see from the outside. It is a personal journey, and you don’t know if that person who is working a humble job, or staying at home as a mother, or doing unglamorous work is following God’s path for them or not. Sometimes it doesn’t look like success, but they could be on the greatest path to success because they have been walking closely in God’s will.
Not making lots of money, losing your job, or being unemployed for a time… you don’t know if those things are actually part of God’s plan unless you are that person and have received directions from God.
Many people judge and wonder… ”Did that person do something wrong that God would punish them with a job loss?” This statement couldn’t be further from the truth.
God works in mysterious ways, and you don’t know that behind the scenes God saved them from something dark in that job. You don’t know that by removing that person from a job, God saved them from becoming swallowed up by the enemy, or that God need to remove pride, or something else from that person’s character or life.
Do not judge someone’s level of success by their outward appearance of success, their position, their money, their cars, the stages they speak on, the opportunities they have, or anything else. It doesn’t matter if they are a millionaire or a billionaire. If they weren’t in God’s will, it is not success.
I pray that God will seek those who are on the wrong path and bring them into God’s Kingdom.
Doing Good Things Does Not Always Equal God’s Will
There are so many people out in the world doing so many great things… but if they are not following God’s instructions, they may be doing the wrong thing.
There are plans God has for us, and the road to success is walking step by step in God’s will.
You may not have achieved the level of success in your life that you thought you would, or that you thought you could, but don’t be discouraged. If you are following God, He has great plans for you and you will see that how no matter how long it took, He will bring you into your new season of prospering.
It is easy to fall into the trap of the world that success equals monetary success, or a prestigious job, or a high ranking position. Unless God wanted you there for a reason, these things don’t matter in God’s Kingdom.
If you are working for yourself, to further yourself, to become great to fulfill your dreams without checking in with God, you may find that after all that pursuit, you don’t feel fulfilled when you get there.
Fulfillment can only come from God, and knowing that you are walking in His will. His plans for you are greater than any plan you can have for yourself. He is the one that can create kings, and dethrone others. He was the one that created you, so He knows what purpose you were created for.
Your job is to seek God, first and foremost, in everything that you do.
It could take you on a long journey of refinement, character development, skill development, and connecting you with the right people in the right places, but as you seek God, He is working behind the scenes to set everything up for you and all those involved. Your timing will come.
I’ve waited nearly 30 years looking for my purpose. Only now do I feel I am finally starting to walk into it, and this blog is part of His plan.
Although I fell off the track so many times in my walk with the Lord, He brought me back to Him and His truth. I know that He is setting me up for the next chapter I’m going to be walking into.
Not walking into my purpose yet has actually been the best blessing. Had I created massive success where I had been going, I would’ve had to shut everything down and start again. He saved me from having to go through a massive fall, which would have been public, not private.
I’m grateful that I was able to go through so many things in private. Had I pushed forward on the things I thought were my dreams and goals, I would’ve lost way more than I already did. I know now that the enemy planted those dreams and goals in me. There was always something within me that didn’t sit right with the way I was heading. Now I understand that that was the Holy Spirit course correcting me.
Do not pursue goals that are not in line with God’s Kingdom.
You see, the world will try to get you to glorify the self. It is always about what we accomplish, our grit, our striving, our perseverance. Those things are great if we are going in the right direction, but in the wrong direction, it will lead us down the wrong track. The road to backtrack can be a long one once you realize this.
Seek God’s Plan for You
I’d like to encourage you to seek God’s plan for you. What does He want you to do in your life? What does He want you to take care of in your life in this season?
Have patience as the answers can come drop by drop rather than an avalanche of knowing.
As we stay faithful and complete the little tasks He has asked us to do, He can trust us more, and the more He trusts us, the more He can give us to do. Be obedient in the Lord, and let everything you do glorify the Lord.
We are not walking into our dreams and our destiny for self-glorification. We are walking into the plans God has for us to do His work, the work that He needs us to do here on this earth. His plan is more masterful than ours. He knows everything and is orchestrating things together in ways we can never see. So, whatever He tells you to do. Do that small thing.
Step by step, task by task, follow Him, and you will see the amazing things He has in store for you. They will be far greater than what you could have achieved on your own. And by following His will, your work will glorify Him, and bless people in ways you’ve never imagined.
And if you already know the purpose and direction God has for you. Own it. Even if it’s a new role, and you don’t feel qualified yet, take it on as if you are completely qualified. God has qualified you. It’s yours. He’s given it to you for a purpose. It is yours to walk into.
All the plans God has for you are good. He is a good God.
You many not see the fruits of all your labor yet, but they are coming. Persevere in all the things God has instructed you to do, one little step at a time. He will do a mighty work through you.
May God bless you!
2 comments
Amen Christine! This spoke to me on so many levels. It’s true! We don’t know the sacrifices that are made behind the scenes in order to achieve that which God has for us. I do know this, it takes dedication and hard work. Welcome to the blogging family! I’d love for you to join us in the FB Group for Christian Bloggers called Salt and Light Linkup. You have a lovely blog here,
Thank you Natalie! Yes, it takes lots of dedication and hard work. So nice to meet you!