Small Purposes
What if this is happening for a purpose?
And in Your Book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them. Psalm 139:16
Setbacks are setups for God’s plan. We can rest in His timing. We can move at His pace for our lives. Do you ever find yourself feeling behind in life? I do. All the “shoulds” bubble up - what my life, relationships, & career should look like. I’ve learned that should pushes me into shame. Surrender ushers me into serenity - the peace of God that surpasses understanding. Remember that we walk by faith. Surrender doesn’t mean doing nothing. Surrender is an activity - we actively place our faith in God & trust Him to direct our steps, change our direction, & carve our paths. Our missteps & mistakes cannot thwart God’s plan for our life. Walk with God on this journey called life.
Do you ever feel as though daily inconveniences are setting you back? I started to feel anxious recently while discussing some work being done on my car. What I thought would be routine maintenance or a quick fix began sounding like an extensive repair as the mechanic explained the necessary interventions. I began to worry - what if I can’t get a rental car? What if I have to be at home for awhile? What if I have to rely on others to get me places? I’m supposed to be putting myself out there, meeting new people, getting a new job. This car issue felt like a hiccup in the plan.
God stopped me right there. He asked me: What if this is happening for a purpose? This is not to say that everything in life will make sense. Life can’t always be reduced into a perfect box of logic. God’s ways are not our ways & His thoughts are not our thoughts. But sometimes we forget that nothing is a surprise to God, not even the trivial, seemingly mundane life interruptions like traffic & car trouble. God is intentional, not accidental. Maybe God wants me to write. Maybe God wants me to be isolated right now - just me & Him. We still have work to do. Maybe this isn’t a season of doing, this is a season of being. My car is grounded & so I am as well. We’re moving at God’s pace. This isn’t a setback but a setup, perhaps.
When things don’t go your way, look for the lesson. What is God teaching me? Why am I here? How can I walk by faith as I surrender to God’s plan? How can I glorify God even during the inconvenient moments of life? Don’t waste an opportunity to go deeper with God by dwelling on the setback. Lean in to this truth: God wastes nothing. We can seek Him & find Him in every situation, big or small.