In my years as a mentor and coach, I often talk with people who are trying to determine what they should do with their lives. We’ve all asked that questioned many times as we endeavor to follow Jesus. The problem is we try to figure out what to do for Jesus before we get to know Him with any depth. It’s backward. We must first cultivate a deep abiding relationship with Christ.
As we do that, He will give us opportunities to serve and obey Him. Then, as those opportunities chain together, a picture begins to form of how God will use our lives to further His mission on earth. We get ourselves in trouble when we try to take the lead. Only Jesus knows where this world is going, so it makes far more sense to let Him lead the way.
I believe God has a perfect plan for our lives before we’re ever born. I also believe it doesn’t take us very long to make a royal mess of that plan. Free will has a way of creating havoc in the plans of God. But our Lord is so extraordinary that in the same instant we mess up, He’s already generated a brand-new best plan for us. If we deviate far enough from the original plan, perhaps we will never do all the things He intended for us to do. I don’t know. But I know if we are drawing breath, He still has a plan for us and things for us to do.
We don’t need to know God’s plan ahead of time. Who knows, maybe the free will actions of others will cause God to redirect our path to accommodate the deviation of other plans. Only God could keep all these things in play at once. It is a testament to His wisdom, intelligence, and glory. The very thought of what it takes to maintain sovereign control over the universe is mind boggling and should cause us to fall on our faces and worship Him.
Knowing God is never out of options or ideas should allow us to relax. We don’t have to figure this whole thing out. We don’t even have to figure our lives out. All we need is to draw closer to Him and surrender our will, our dreams, and our desires. He’ll take care of the rest.
We don’t have to worry about what we should do with our lives. If we are obedient to Jesus and never cease our pursuit of Him, He will gently lead us along the best path for us. That doesn’t mean it will all be roses. Sometimes getting back to the plan will cause us to go through difficult and even terrifying situations. But be confident it is all working to God’s glory and even to our joy and satisfaction. If Jesus is our Lord, then the best thing we could do is allow Him to use us for His purposes. Don’t stress over what you should do with your life. Just draw nearer to God and He will direct your paths (Proverbs 3:5-6).