I had my life mapped out. I was 22 years old and a senior in college. I was still a virgin and wanted to keep it that way until marriage.
I planned to get married at age 25 – to a man who adored me! It would be two of us for the first two years of our marriage, and our two kids would be born thereafter. Our first baby would be born when I was 27, the second at 29. I wanted our kids to be born before I turned 30. We would travel and live happily ever after! My plans were promising and exciting!
Here is the kicker – life did not read my script! What I was handed was nowhere close to my plan! I was frustrated, to say the least! I did not understand why life dealt me the ugly end of the stick.
I could not believe life ignored my plan! Who could I blame in a case such as this? God, life itself, or myself?
I did the best with what was handed to me, but it was not enough – something was missing. I felt unfulfilled, a void, an emptiness.
Food for thought – would I have been happy had life read my script and gone according to my plan? To be frank, I think not! An emptiness would still have welled up inside of me along the way. I would have felt empty despite accomplishing my aspirations. Why? Because I would have still missed the plan of God – the purpose for my life and my calling.
We may get to a point in our life where we sense that God created us for something more, and the life we are living may seem futile. He purposely created us to search for the reason for our existence or our calling. That void can only be filled by God. Our spirit is aware that we were created for something more. The flesh however drowns out our search for our purpose and calling.
The enemy plans to keep us ignorant of our purpose and calling at all costs. God uses those who are willing to counteract the plans of the enemy on the earth. Many of us are ignorant of our purpose and calling. We are content with our choices and whatever life hands us.
I have learned that God has a blueprint for our lives. He also has an assignment for us to accomplish on the earth. So, how do we access this blueprint? Well, by revelation off-course. And how do we receive revelation? By cultivating an intimate relationship with Him.
Life is a maze. We all strive to find the best route to our destination. God has an Ariel view of our life – the maze. He can see all the dead ends and the best route to our destination. The blueprint of our life, which God holds, helps us find the best route out of the maze. It is with this route that God reveals our purpose and calling. It makes sense to consult Him for directions.
Consulting God gives us the best and fastest route to our purpose and calling. Having an intimate relationship with Him also allows us access to redirection should we miss a turn and get lost. Navigating the maze in our own ability leads us to dead ends with no access to redirection.
Yes, planning is good because it gives us a target to aim at! However, God holds the ultimate PLAN for our lives. Our plans may be interrupted for His purpose at any time – I call this “divine interruption”. The beauty in cultivating an intimate relationship with God is that our mind is at ease when He interrupts our plans. God is for us, and He makes everything work out for our good.
Being interrupted by God will bring uncertainties, so trusting Him becomes a vital part of the process. Intentionality about spending time with Him builds trust – it also gives us a chance to know His character.
Do you remember the story of Abraham in the Bible? Speak of divine interruption! He was told to abandon the life he knew. He had to leave his home for a foreign land. He had no idea where this land was, yet he obliged. Follow-through, on his part, required uncommon faith. Abraham is admired for his remarkable faith and known as a friend of God. He walked by faith with each step. God delighted in Abraham, and his faith was honoured. The bible tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:7 “We live by faith, not sight.” God blessed Abraham and made a covenant with him.
I lacked an intimate relationship with God when planning my life – so He could not guide me. He spoke, but I could not hear Him. I could not discern His voice because I was not spending enough time with Him.
I neglected to speak to Him about my desire for marriage and went about it on my own! Getting married is an enormous decision and changes the trajectory of our lives. God is one of relationship therefore He cares and wants a say about our relationships and the people we garner around us. Who we partner with will either push or delay us from our destiny. I should have consulted Him about it. How heartbreaking would it be if a daughter got married without telling or consulting her earthly Father? How much more do we break the heart of our Heavenly Father if we go in our wisdom? I got married because I was in love, and I thought I was ready. I thought I knew better!
God cares about the details of our lives and wants to be involved in every aspect. He is a Father who cherishes His daughters. Well, life undoubtedly showed this daughter flames, as you can imagine! I found myself expecting God to clean up the mess I had made. Most of us make life-altering decisions without consulting God, mess up, and expect Him to clean up when things go haywire.
God is a visionary, and He created both life and us. He knows the best route for optimal results, our purpose and calling. God desires to reveal our purpose and calling to us, and we get revelation by spending time with Him. He was loving enough to give us a manual for how we should live via the Holy Bible – His word.
Let me share a true story. My sister and I went to a retail store this one day, to buy a gas heater – winter was looming. We got the heater and proceeded to assemble it. I had prior experience with a gas heater, so I was confident that I would figure it out manual-free. We switched it on, and I was proud of myself. Two hours in, and the heater automatically switched off. We were both puzzled. We summed it up to a defect.
The next day rolled around, and my sister took the heater back to the store for a new one, but they were all sold out. So, she decided to bring it back home to try to swap it out the next day. It was after she got home that I looked at the manual. The manual mentioned a mechanism that automatically stopped the flow of gas when inadequate air circulation was detected. As a result, the heater was designed to automatically switch off. By the way, the heater I had prior experience with lacked this nifty little mechanism! New gas heaters!
My sister and I had egg on our faces! We could not believe how daft we had been! Reading the manual could have saved us so much frustration and time.
The attitude my sister and I had towards the heater is the very one we have towards life! We are confident in our own ability that we neglect to consult God. We find ourselves going in circles, delaying our destiny and calling! God longs to be involved in every aspect of our lives.
Stay Blessed X!
