I Need a Blueprint for My Life!

Truth is, there is no such thing as a blueprint for life. At least, not in the way we would like. I do not believe that Jesus ever wondered what exactly He was supposed to be doing with His life. He knew His mission was to reconcile man to God. The other stuff; teaching, evangelism and miracles were part of that process. Our relationship with God is meant to be like that. Everyone has a specific task which has been assigned to them by God. That task will also involve doing other things along the fringes of that particular assignment. For example, I am primarily a writer. However, I have an interest in current affairs, most particularly; matters of government. My writing brings all these things together. It is the wrist upon which my other interests rest upon. It took me three years to figure this out and I don’t think God is finished with me yet.

 

I have wasted a lot of my time and energy pondering what exactly the Lord wanted to do with my life. I was not asking Him for my calling; it was more like, “Lord, you must show me my life from the beginning to the end, in Technicolor if you don’t mind.” Without realising it, l was asking God for a blueprint. God does not give blueprints the way we would like Him to. We want to know ‘the how’, ‘the where’ and the ‘when.’ The Lord is saying, “My child, My grace is sufficient for you. I have said, l will never leave you nor forsake you. I have said l will not leave you as orphans that l will come to you. I have also said that I am the One that goes before you. The bottom line is this; do you trust me?”

 

God has already given us Someone to model our lives on. That person is Jesus, “who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature…for it pleased the Father that in Him should all fullness dwell” (Colossians 1:15, 19). Believers know the great commission, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). That is what the Lord requires of us. However, somewhere along the line, we have become confused. We live in fear of missing God’s will for our lives. That is not living under grace. The Bible says we are no longer living under the Law. In the Bible, Paul rebukes the Galatians for turning their backs on the Gospel of Grace. He asks them, “Have you lost your senses? After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit [of God], why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort?” (Galatians 3:3 NLT). If we truly believe that we are in a personal relationship with God, if we truly believe that nothing we can do can separate us from the love of God, then we have no need to fear. The Bible is filled with God’s Greats. Strange as it might seem, they did not start out being Great. It was trial and error. Abraham, David, Jeremiah, Moses, the apostle Paul…they all went through a refining process before finding their place of calling. The truth is, by making Jesus Lord of our lives, we have already made the first step of being in God’s will.

 

I was at a cell group meeting a few months ago when l remarked that some people do not even know what their gifts were. They do not know what they enjoy doing neither do they know how to develop what they do have. “Yep, that’s me!” said my friend. I doubt she is alone. There are millions of Christians like her. However, instead of asking the Lord to show them the specific calling He has in store for them, they dither. Some people find it easier to wring their hands instead of getting quiet before the Lord. I think l started writing before l could read. As a child l would write short stories. I think I was the only person who loved spelling tests! I used to wonder why the teacher did not give us more challenging words to spell. Being wise, l kept this wish to myself. I remember reading the works of William Shakespeare as a young thirteen-year-old. Oh the joy of it! Reading and writing was more than an escape for me, it was a part of me. When l gave my life to Christ, l kept on writing albeit for personal edification. But I had ideas and as much as l tried to forestall them, the Holy Spirit kept them coming. When I eventually surrendered my writing to the Lord, He took it and blessed it (set me loose on the world!). He told me, “Write! In this My Name will be glorified.” And I’m still writing. And learning.

 

The Bible talks about the five-fold ministry; teachers, evangelists, pastors, prophets and apostles (1 Corinthians 12:28). For those who honestly do not know the specific plan God has in store for their lives. Let me reassure you that you were created for a specific purpose, “Before you were born l set you apart and appointed you as my spokesman to the world” (Jeremiah 1:4 NLT). The Bible goes to great lengths to set our minds at ease with the thought that, “God saw [us] before [we were] born…every moment was laid out before a single day had passed” (Ps. 139:16).

 

Perhaps you are still confused. You know there is something you should be doing for God but are not sure what that thing is. Well, let me give a word from the Father, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6). If that does not give you peace, consider this, “For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel; In returning [to Me] and resting [in Me] you shall be saved; in quietness and in [trusting] confidence shall be your strength. But you would not” (Isaiah 30:15, The Amplified Bible). In other words, if you do not trust Him, if you do not admit your own weakness and inability, then how can He help you?