Online College?
Do I need a college degree to fulfill God's desire for my life?
What is God's desire for my life?
Am I pursuing God's desire's or the worlds?
What is my God given life purpose?
Am I living a vibrant, set-on-fire for Christ life?
What in my innermost being do I love so much that I want to spend the rest of my life doing?
Do I have plans and goals set in place to accomplish and fulfill my life purpose?
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When you read the above questions, did they fill you with dread because the answers are elusive to you, or did they fill you with excitement because you could answer them?
As the time for my graduation drew near these questions (and so many others) were flying and whizzing around in my head constantly and I didn't have an answer to any of them.
As I look back over four years since that day of graduation, I can see how God has taught me many things and I'm glad that I waited on Him for direction rather that plowing ahead in my impatience and fustration at not knowing what to do. As I mentioned above, I didn't have the answers to all the questions when I graduated. I wanted to have them, but they weren't there. I learned that sometimes God just needs us to prepare our fields (lives) in faith, trusting that He will bring the rain (purpose). And He did, just not in ways I would ever have expected.
If I could give one piece of advice to each young person preparing for graduation or planning their future, I would tell them to seek God and His direction and to ask yourselves, "Am I planning or pursuing something because God desires it of me or am I doing it because the world expects me to?"
I would also suggest a very special tool that I wish I had known about earlier in life. This tool helps you to find your life purpose and helps you prepare for your journey to fulfilling it.
If you have never heard of this book I would highly recommend visiting their website http://www.lifepurposeplanning.org/ Our family listened to two seminars by Mr. Novotny on Embassy Institute (I wrote about Embassy on my personal blog) about a month and a half ago and soon after ordered the book. We have just recently started working on it, but it has bee great!
The book encourages you to get your focus on God and find out what gifts, interests, traits, personality and circumstances He has given you to fulfill the purpose He made you for.
It helps teaches you how to become a better:
1. Person (a disciple) "Living in uninterrupted fellowship with God and showing genuine love to others."
2. Provider (a servant) "Combining skill and vision to meet the needs of those whom God has called me to serve."
3. Proclaimer (a communicator) "Communicating Biblical truth to fulfill the Great Commission and live out a vital life message."
4. Partner (a teamate) "Honoring the marriage covenant in all my relationships."
5. Parent (a discipler) " Training those God entrusts to my care and rasing up many Godly generations."
For most of us the Partner and Parent title doesn't apply to us, but if we view those roles from the perspective of teamate and discipler then they do apply.
This book helps you to find out what people group(s) God designed you to serve. What ministries He can use you mightily in and so much more.
As I said above, our family just recently found this book and started working on it, (It's key that your parents be involved with this planning) and it's going on four years since I've graduated! So this book is fantastic for any age - even my parents want to do if for themselves =)
Finding the purpose to why God created you is key to unlocking the door to a vibrant, God filled, future. There may be many doors in the future that you will have to find the right key to get through, but having a peace in knowing your life purpose will point you in the right direction.
Is this book a fix-all, find-all? No, the book itself will not point you in the right direction, but much prayer, direction from God and wisdom from your parents will help you find that special and unique key to your life purpose
Determining God's will is one of the hardest things for me. I think I know the next turn or two to take, but when the road forks there, I'll just have to see.
ReplyDeleteThis is a time in life when many decisions must start being made, and arguably an especially difficult time for women who seek to do His will. It's great to know there are resources like that out there. :)