When you were a little girl did you dream of what your life would look like as an adult?
Did you envision a life married to the man of your dreams filled with diaper changes, midnight feedings, and tripping over toys as you carried a hamper load of clothing? Growing up did you see yourself as a successful business woman gaining the highest education you could achieve then climbing the corporate ladder? As a little girl did you play school with your friends knowing that one day you would be teaching youngsters to read in a classroom of your own?
But now as an adult you are living a life much different than the one you thought God had planned for you.
Instead of waking up next to the man of your dreams your left comforting your children alone when they wake in the middle of the night. Or the rooms you and your husband dream of being filled with toys and dirty clothes sit empty, only filled when guests arrive. The position you once worked so hard to obtain is now filled by someone else while you are home cleaning spilt milk. Instead of teaching little kids how to read you find yourself halfway around the world serving and loving on young women rescued from a life of slavery.
When life finds us in a completely different place than we ever thought we would be, it’s very easy to question and doubt the importance of where we are currently. We quickly compare ourselves and our lives to those who have what we thought we would have. Once the comparison and doubt begin we spiral into questioning our self worth, value and importance.
It’s at that point where we need to nip those thoughts and questions in the bud. We need to remember that God has a plan for our lives and in that plan there are different seasons and pastures.
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.”
Ecclesiastes 3:1
It’s what we do in the life God gives us that matters. Life may change, circumstances may change but God’s love for us never changes. God has seasons and pastures for us. Instead of questioning God’s plan for our lives or looking at ourselves as failures or less than we must take a step back and ask ourselves some questions.
- In my former season and pasture did my work and life glorify God?
- Did I seek God and His direction for my life?
- As God moved me into a new pasture did I prayerfully and faithfully follow Him?
- In my current pasture am I allowing God to use me to bring others to Him?
- Am I faithfully serving God right where He has me in this moment?
While it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking we are not good enough or unimportant, when we take the time to step back and refocus our thoughts we see the bigger picture. There is a time for everything and a season and pasture in which God wants us to serve Him. The season were are in and the pasture we are serving in will look different from others but that doesn’t make it any less important. It also doesn’t make us any less successful.
God has called each one of us to a purpose and a pasture. As we begin to see the season and pasture we are in through God’s eyes let’s pray this prayer from Colossians 1:9-12 …
Dear Lord fill us with the knowledge of your will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. Help us live a life worthy of you and may we please you in every way. Help us bear fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of you. Strengthen us with all power according to your glorious might that we may have great endurance and patience, joyfully giving thanks to you who has qualified us. In your name we pray, Amen.
In His Calm,
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