the F word

In light of recent elections and the upcoming holidays...I decided to write about the F word.  That's right, I decided to write about the future.

Tomorrow I'll head home for my last Thanksgiving break as an under-grad.
Time seems to be getting faster, or perhaps I'm just getting older.
I only have a few months left until I graduate.
I'll have a college degree in hand and be off in the world to figure out what I should do with my life.
But really I guess you might say I'm already there.
Trying to figure out what I want to do, that is.

A lot of people get hyped up and stressed out about their future, especially when that graduation date ebbs closer.  SO many people have asked me about my plans now that I'm a senior.  I don't mind it though.  I'm thankful to have people in my life that take an interest in my future.  But at the same time it feels like an never ending cycle. Allow me to elaborate:

High school- where are you going to college?  where are you going to college?  where are you going to college?

Freshman year- what are you gonna major in?  what are you gonna major in?  what are you gonna major in?

Sophomore year- you have time to decide a major, but not too much time so hurry up and decide already!

Junior year- You better like what you're in, you're in too deep now...

Senior year- where are you going?  where are you gonna work?  where are you gonna live?  you're an adult now.

So many questions.
There is so much unknown.
So many plans! 
My goodness, how we humans like to plan things out.

I've decided not to worry too much about that little thing known as the "future."  God has it worked out, and me making plans isn't going to change that.

What do we think?  Do we seriously think He is up there thinking, "oh man, I hope she makes the right decision here.  This is it!  If she messes this up, she's off the path and I can't help her."  What a pitiful god that would be if that were true.  To think that God is limited by your decisions is prideful.  He is not limited by you.  Quite frankly, He doesn't even need you.  Did you hear that? God does not need you.  He is perfectly capable of making the world go round without you. 

Four years ago if you told me I would be where I am, doing what I am doing I probably would have laughed at you.  Told you that is the most ridiculous thing I'd ever heard and I would never do that.  Never ever! But here I am, doing it.  And it has been one of the hardest, scariest, most heart wrenching, best things I've ever done.

I've been thinking about Esther a lot lately.  She had to decide if she was going to go tell King Xerxes that his right hand man was planning to destroy her people.  This could have cost Esther her life, which wouldn't have done anything to help the Jews.  Her cousin, Mordecai, told her "For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" (Esther 4:14). 

God would have delivered the Jews.  He wasn't going to be in a jam if Esther said no.  He simply would have used another method to accomplish His will.  It's kind of the same with us.  God is going to accomplish His will, regardless of you, regardless of who is president, regardless of which career path you choose.  He is going to do it.  Human beings are incapable of stopping Him.  We simply don't have that power.  He is the all-powerful one, not us. 


So if you are freaking out because you don't know what you want to do with your life or you think our country is going to hell, don't worry.  The world isn't going to fall to shambles because you decided on this path instead of that one.  The world isn't going to fall because of who is in our political offices.  We don't have that much power, my friend.  The world will only fall to shambles when God says it's time. 

 Perhaps then, you are asking yourself that if this all true, why should you obey Him?  I mean, if He's going to do what He sees fit regardless of us, why does it matter?  Not so fast there, dear.  We still should obey Him.  You want to know why?  Not because the fate of the world rest on your shoulders, but because He loves you.  Wait, what?  Obey because He loves you?  Yep.  That's right.  Jesus said, "If you love Me, you will obey what I command" (John 14:15).  Your obedience to God should be out of a deep and passionate love for Him, not out of the fear of what will happen if you don't.  Plus, there are countless blessings that come from obeying Him.  If Esther had decided not to go before the king, God would have rescued the Jews, but she and her family would have perished.  She would have missed the blessing.

So, let's sum this up.  Whoever you are, whatever you're facing, whatever your fears are, know that God is sovereign.  He is the Almighty One, and He can bring glory out of any situation. 


"In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps." -Proverbs 16:9

Jesus said, "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life...Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?...So do not worry...your heavenly Father knows [what] you need...seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."  -Matthew 6:25-34