So when I was talking with my beautiful roommate earlier I thought of something and I figured it would be good for most people to hear. Therefore, I am going to write some of these down right now for everyone to read.
So when it comes to plans for your life I found that there are two questions you need to ask. I had to learn this over the past like six months here and I still ask myself these questions regularly.
One of the hardest things to think about is "Is this my desire or is it the desire of God?" (desires and passions as in to write or paint, or to go to India or minister locally) The Bible says "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart" (Psalm 37:4) And people twist this verse all the time and say "I desire to have plenty of money and live a carefree, happy, American Dream, type life" And that God will give that to them. Firstly, when you delight in the Lord, you love His commandments and you have the same heart and desires that He does. Then he will give yo those desires. Really think about that for a minute...
Yet another thing we think is, "Does that mean that all my desires are my own and God needs to get rid of all of them and get all new ones?" Personally I think this is only in part true. (Now there are exceptions where you are so skewed from God that you desire nothing that He does, but this is an exception, not a rule.) There are many times where God gives you passions and gifts so that you can go into a certain area. There are other times where God puts you into a place that you have no original gifting there, then he will give you those gifts. This is something that depends on the individual and truly takes prayer and a heart after the Lord to figure this out. You have to seek Him first and he will provide for and direct you. (Matthew 6:33, Proverbs 3:6) This is something I had to learn because I tend to be a planner and God really wants me to simply seek Him and then he will open the right doors at the right times.
So in my grand search to see if the desires and passions I had were mine or if they were Gods (That he put in my recently or at birth) I asked two general questions.
1. Who's seed is this?
When you have a plant you need to know what type of seed you are planting so you know what it is growing into. When you have desires in your heart think of them as little seeds planted at different times. The ones that have been there for a while and that are being nourished take root. The ones you don't want need to be pulled before those roots grow so deep that they can cause damage. So you need to identify what seeds you really want planted early on before it is too hard to remove them. So identify the seed you need to look into it and see what it's origin is. I listen to a sermon recently called "What is at the bottom of your joys." Basically, if you ask question after question eventually you are going to get to the root of why a person does everything they do. At the end there is only two options for your "why". It is either for yourself or for God. So look into those seeds, those desires, and see what plant it came from. If you want to write is it because you want it for yourself or for God? Really think and pray on it. If the answer if "for myself" then ask yourself if it has always been and always be just for you, or if you just twisted the thing God planted. You may change the root to being God instead of yourself. But if you look and see that there is no way it can ever be for or from God then it is time to take out that seed before it takes root. Once it takes root it will be hard to remove and will also suck the life from the other seeds. Now, if you see that the seed is from God you need to nourish it.
So look at the things inside of your heart, what you do and what you love. See what it will grow into. Either a dead plant for yourself, or a tree bearing fruit for God. Those are the only options. (Unless you try to plant a tree that has poison fruit for Satan, which is a rarity. Though he does enjoy to nourish your dead plants and have them kill off Gods.) The plant you leave in and nourish is what will grow and take over your life. If it is of yourself, when you uproot it it will be hard but it IS possible.
2. Who's tool box are you using?
In other words, who's tools (skills) are you using? When you are following what you desire is it all by the achievements and talents you taught yourself or is it the things that God has gifted you in? Like I said earlier, God will put you into an area where you have no natural skill at times and then you can get the skills by His spirit and it makes His name great instead of yours. We tend to want to use the things we are comfortable in that we have practiced and pursued. But think about it. When a person who went to school for writing for eight years published a book he would get all the glory. But if you had never written before in your life then it would be Gods glory. Or if God gifted you in it growing up He could get the glory then as well. So when you look at these things you want to do think if you are using your tool box, the tools that you collected, or your Daddy's tool box. His is bigger and has better tools for you anyways.
So just saying that you should check your seeds and use your Daddy's tool box when it comes to going after your purpose for life. And also, always pray and ask God to reveal the answers for you.
Keeping the Faith,
C.A.M
