Looking back, I never would have thought I’d be here. To be honest, I always thought I’d have an impressive academic career and be some kind of doctor…at least that’s where my life seemed to be headed. You see, I literally spent three-fourths of my high school career preparing for it. I even got accepted into my dream university. But as I prepared to go to college, nothing worked out as planned.
Long story short, my plan and every attempt to bring it to pass failed. I was crushed. And for a long time, I was lost in life. I had no idea what to do, as I watched my classmates excel in college. And even though I wouldn’t have said it at the time…I felt like a failure. How could a girl with so much potential be nowhere in life?
I spent the next several years suffering. I was depressed. I was anxious. I got married and had kids, only to feel like a single mom because my husband and I were separated. Everywhere I looked, I saw failure. I wasn’t successful in pursuing my dream. I wasn’t successful at being a wife. I was so depressed that I wasn’t even sure I was being a good mom.
The truth is that I had no idea who I was.
I had no idea that my journey was all for a purpose that I couldn’t even comprehend.
'“I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.” ' (Jeremiah 1:5)
I was set apart for the purposes of the Lord before I was formed in my mother's womb. Before I was even born, God was crafting a plan for my future, a future that would bring glory to His name.
'For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord . “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. ' (Jeremiah 29:11)
You see, for His plan to be accomplished, my plans had to fail.
If God had allowed me to pursue my collegiate dreams, He would have been allowing me to stray from the plan that He had for my life. And while my struggles were hard to endure, they led me in the direction of purpose.
I wanted a picture perfect life, but a life without suffering is a life without purpose.
Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:8-10)
Like Paul, I begged the lord to take it all away. I begged Him for healing; I begged Him to restore my family. But if He had granted my request at the time, I wouldn’t be where I am today.
I can only encourage those in pain because I have endured years of pain. I can only speak faith over a broken marriage because my marriage was once shattered. I can speak life over families, because God resurrected my own family.
My suffering was not in vain. Each struggle led me closer to who I was created to be.
Without those weaknesses, I would never have experienced the Lord's strength. And it is through His strength that I found who I really am.
My point is that we never really know who we are.
We don’t know what we are capable of…we don’t know who we are destined to be. But when we journey with the Lord, when we allow Him to strengthen us in the middle of our weaknesses, we find who He’s created us to be.
We are found in His strength, but that means that we must first endure weakness.
We must endure seasons of pain. We must endure heartache, disappointment, and failure. But we must remember that regardless of how tough it gets, victory awaits us in the end.
'I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”' (John 16:33)
Right now, we must allow these words of our Savior to strengthen us…Jesus overcame so we, too, can overcome.
We can overcome the failure. We can overcome the doubt. We can overcome the heartache. We can overcome the brokenness.
'Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. ' (II Corinthians 5:17)
II Corinthians says that in Christ, all things have been made new. This is His promise to you.
You don’t have to settle with where you are in life right now. You don’t have to settle for the bad relationship. You don’t have to settle for the overwhelming debt. You don’t have to settle for the bad health report….
You don’t have to settle for anything less than the plan that God has for you.
God’s plan is to prosper you…to give you a hope and a future.
Do you feel like you are prospering in life right now? Do you have hope? Do you feel like you have a future?
If your answer is no to any of those questions, I want to encourage you not to settle in life.
Remember, we never really know who we are.
I still don’t know the fullness of who God has created me to be. He is molding me for His purpose everyday that I breathe, and the same is true for you.
Sometimes we look at our lives and think that we have it all figured out. We think there is no hope for our situation…no chance that life can get better or be completely different in the future.
Well, I’m here to tell you that that is a lie.
How can I say that so confidently? Because all things have been made new.
It may not feel like it right now, but in Christ, your family is made new. In Christ, your marriage is made new. In Christ, your body is made new. In Christ, your mind is made new.
And as you continue your journey with God, placing your trust in Him, He will begin to mold you. He works in all the crevices of our lives…healing us, restoring us, and preparing us for purpose. It may feel dark right now, but in that darkness, you will be found in His strength. He will reveal why you were created, and why you are so important to His master plan on earth. You were made with purpose in mind. And everyday that you trust Him, He is moving you closer to that purpose.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for creating me to be a part of your amazing plan, and thank you for reminding me that regardless of what I face, I still play a vital role in that plan. With every trial, I am being molded for my purpose. With every disappointment, your plan is being revealed. Father, I want nothing more than to bring glory to your name. So I will praise you in the middle of every storm. I will allow you to be the strength in the middle of my weakness. And I will give you all the glory for every victory that I experience. I love you. In the name of Yeshua, the Messiah, I pray, amen.
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