I am in my junior year of high school, which means college and a bucket load of decisions are on there way. It is too easy to start worrying about where I’m going to attend college, what I’m going to study, who I’m going to marry, and what in the world I’m going to do with my life. And to top it all off, I don’t want to mess it up and go against what the Lord wants for my life.
I know there are a ton of other girls out there who feel the same way about this tremendous burden.
Maybe you aren’t worried about something I just listed, maybe you’re worried about something coming up soon, not something a couple years down the road. Regardless, if you give your plans to the Lord, He will show you what He desires for your life.
I think we think about the future as something that will happen in an instant, at the snap of our fingers. But think about it… do you just make one decision and you’re five years down the road? No, you make several decisions, and it takes you on a journey that lasts a while. The future is made up of several decisions you make today, tomorrow, in a week, and in a year. So, instead of worrying about what the future looks like, start making good, God-honoring decisions.
The following are three steps of how to have peace regarding the future:
1. Give God your future
If you are a child of God, then He has a perfect plan for your life. If you’re worried about the future, you need to ask God to take control and give you peace regarding your future.
Once you surrender to whatever God wants for you and realize His plans are perfect, you will not have anything to fear.
If you trust God with an eternity in Heaven, why are you not trusting Him with the rest of your earthly life?
2. Pray + Read God’s Word
You are not on this journey alone. You have the help of your Heavenly Father. If you’ve given Him your life, and your future, talk to Him about it. Pray about and surrender your desires to God. Ask Him to make your desires line up to His plan. Pray about decisions that you are faced with. Pray about your concerns. Pray about everything… you cannot pray too much! When you start to rely on God and realize He is the one guiding you, it will become a whole lot easier to give up your own desires and surrender to His will.
1 Thessalonians 5:17 “…pray without ceasing…”
If you desire to follow God’s will for your life, you can’t know what it is without reading the Word of God. A major step in following the Lord’s will for your life is to see what He has to say about it. The Bible won’t say word-for-word what you need to do, but It does have guidelines to follow. Study the Bible looking for specific wisdom principles and guidelines to help you make good decisions and follow God’s will.
3. Talk to others
When faced with tough decisions, when you’re scared, when you don’t know what to do, getting your thoughts and fears out of your head can be a huge help. Talk to a friend, a parent, your pastor, someone with solid, Biblical advice, and let them know what you’re thinking. Whenever I don’t know what to do about something, I ask my mom. She always comes up with something I would have nevercthought of! It still shocks me, but it shouldn’t because that’s what happens every time. Get your thoughts out, someone might have an idea or opinion that you would have never thought about.
It all comes down to one final thought. Be patient about this process.
You don’t need to know today where you’re going to go to college, or who you’re going to marry. Remember Who is in control and talk to Him about everything going on in your life. You are a child of the One True God who loves you and cares about you unconditionally. Focus on the truth of His Word, and don’t let fear take over.
Colossians 3:15 “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts… and be thankful.”
Let us know your thoughts…
What is one thing in your life that you need to trust God with?
Guest Post Written By: Kristen Paulson
