Wisdom, Reflection, and Grace

GOD’S WILL

I asked my husband when he realized that practicing medicine was his calling. He replied, “I believe around ninth grade.” He told me that it was in the ninth grade when he started to have a passion for science and biology. Then, as he got older, his parents made the suggestion that he should consider biology or medicine as a degree field. He listened but danced around other degree fields including agriculture. He eventually dropped those ideas for his passion discovery in secondary school. Science. This discovery led to a career in medicine. Today, he will absolutely tell you, medicine is indeed God’s calling for his life. He loves what he does and cares deeply about his patients. He gets up every morning knowing he is doing what God gave him a gift and talent to do. When I think over my own childhood, I was in middle school and around twelve or thirteen years old in my discovery of God’s calling for me. Writing. At this age, I was writing manuscripts and telling funny stories. I had stacks of paper bound with staples to open and close like a book. Then I sat my sister and cousin down with me to read it to them. Although, I had never at that time read a book of my own from cover to cover. I loved writing and telling stories. Many years, degrees, and jobs passed me by before I eventually went back to my passion for writing that I discovered when I was a young girl. God’s word says that he blessed each and every one of us with a specific gift and talent. That means God knows and places you with a gift before you were even formed; God knew you would have a specific talent and skill.

For some of us, that gift is acknowledged early and for others later in life. That’s totally okay. God’s will for your life is not always going to make sense immediately (Prov. 3:5–6). And no, there is nothing wrong with you. It took me many years and several mistakes to realize what God had planned for me. I am sill in awe of the Lord’s work in me. God is not finished with you or me. My hope in sharing my personal story is so that you will seek God in helping you in your discovery.

Seeking first the kingdom of God will help you today and throughout life. God has a plan and purpose for your life (Jer. 29:11). The Lord our God made each of us unique with different talents and skill sets (1 Peter 4:10, Rom. 12:6–8, Exod. 35:10). If you are confused about God’s will for your life, go to him. I think sometimes we have to just get alone with God and leave the distractions outside (Ps. 4:4, 46:10). I had many distractions that left me bouncing from one end to the other. You lose time and you can lose your blessings (Mal. 2:2). You can’t hear God and focus only on your family, kids, or the overbearing boss at work (Luke 11:28). All these things on any given day can cause you to place your focus elsewhere. Place your focus on God. You can go to God with your request (Ps. 55:22), place all these things before him and meditate on God’s word expecting to hear his voice. Leave it all with him. After leaving everything with Him say, “Lord, I want to hear your voice today. Help my mind to be focused on you, Lord. Please speak to my heart as I read your word. Remind me of your goodness that you have shown me in the past. I thank you for answering my prayer.” If your mind is on a million other things before, during, and after you spend time alone with God, exactly how will you hear Him? Most likely you won’t. This was my story. I could not hear God (John 8:47; John 10:27; Rom. 10:17). For a long time, I went about my daily routine not expecting to hear from God. God had to find a way to make me pay attention to only Him. His way was removing everything I thought was more important. Everything. It was the only way I could give Him my full attention. This was not done to hurt me (Rev. 3:19–20). Nobody understands your future like God does. Many people can tell you what you need to do, whom you should marry, or where you should live, but only God is our surety. The Lord can give life and take life away. God can open a door and shut a door, answer your prayers or tell you to wait. You may suffer pain or frustration sometime, but joy will come again (Ps. 30:5). Trust that what you are going through serves a greater purpose (Exod. 9:16). It’s okay to be honest with God in prayer, saying, “Lord, I need your help. I am coming to you today seeking to find out what your will is for my life. I believe you have a plan and purpose for my existing in this world. Allow me to hear Your voice through the Word of God.” God hears our prayers. None of what is going on in your life is meant to hurt you (James 1:2–4). I have been in situations in my life that left me deeply troubled. I had no idea how God could take care of it. I can tell you now those tough times served a greater purpose and made me stronger in my faith and trust in the Lord. Your feelings, your doubts, your fears or darkest secrets are not too off limit for God to help you. In fact, God wants to be involved in every aspect of your life. Get to know God more and more each day into the discovery of what your will is.

“I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you” (Heb. 13:5 NASB).