By Angel Edwards
Looking at the world through the eyes of a child you believe anything is possible. As a child I remember adults always asking me, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" I would often reply with some ridiculous desire. "I want to be a... mime... vampire... magician... actress...spy...even a backup dancer for Brittany Spears" The list goes on and on. Taking into consideration my age the adults in my life didn't express their concern for my bizarre dreams.
It seems that our society, media, parents, and peers, encourage us to aim for our dreams but there is something much more important that we have taken removed our focus from. The focus has moved off of Christ and onto ourselves. This is the problem.
We are taught within American culture to focus on our education, our career choices, our husband/wife, our lifestyle. Our whole life is focus on our accomplishments.
A short time ago I attended a Christian internship. Through the ministry I worked at a call center where my job was to call teenagers who wanted information on the specific internship I was a involved with.
The most common excuse I heard for not coming to the internship was, "I was interested but now I am going to go to college." My response to this was in a form of questions. Why college? Do you know the next step is college? Have you prayed about going to that college? Are you being called there by God or is it your own desire leading you? Usually there was silence or someone would respond back to me by stating that this must be what God wants because it's what they want or because it is a good plan. It doesn't work that way. I wonder how many of Gods plans have been rejected for the desire of our own plans.
A very wise woman I worked with once told me, "There are our plans and there are God's plans. Why settle for second best when God has the greatest plan for you?"
This is what so much of today's youth is doing. They are following the standards of society. I remember talking with some of the parents of these teens on the phone and they were not happy with me telling their child about an internship before college. They told me time and time again, "No, my son/daughter is going to college." When I asked them whether they had prayed about it or not the usual response was, "We can't afford anything else and that's just what they need to do." The reason why any other option besides college was shot down was because it didn't seem logical to them. Money was out of the question, not attending college was out of the question, not becoming "successful" in the worlds eyes was out of the question. It seems as we get older we feel we have to view the world in such a realistic way that anything that seems illogical can't be correct.
Don't get me wrong, I am not opposed to college. I am a college student but that only came to be through prayer and conformation from God. I know that this is where I need to be right now and I find so much comfort in knowing that this is the best way I could be living right now. Also, I know that parents care for their children's well being enough to guide and direct them. I have to ask though what is more important: The way the world views us or the way God wants to use us?
We need to view the world through a child's eyes. In Matthew 18:3 Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." If God calls us to a mission, through fervent prayer, then we need to believe that it can happen. A child believes that anything can come true and just because we get older does not mean that this concept doesn't apply anymore.
I challenge you today to start looking at this world from a biblical perspective. We have been trained to see everything through secular eyes. As Christians, however, we have been given a new mind and a new perspective. God knows far more than we do. In Isaiah 55:9 it states: "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts".
In the book of Jeremiah there is a story where the Lord tells Jeremiah to go down to the potters house where He will give him a message. Jeremiah obeys and as he walks into the potters house he sees the potter working at the wheel. Jeremiah watches as the potter takes the spoiled clay and forms into another vessel. The Lord uses the potter and the clay for a symbolic act.
Then the word of the LORD came to me [Jeremiah] : “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter has done? declares the LORD. Behold, like the clay in the potter's hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. - Jeremiah 18:5-6
The Lord shows His heart here for His people. He wants us to become clay in His hands. When we surrender our will over to Him we give Him the ability to form us into a beautiful piece of art. He cares for us and this is why He wants us to obey His will for our lives. He has an an individual calling just for you!
If I could challenge you with anything it would be for you to view God as one who loves you so much that he wants to partner with you for His mission on Earth.He wants to use you for His will. What an amazing honor to be called by God! It's time to listen and obey. Break out of your comfort zones. The Lord is only one who can satisfy our deepest desires. Our dreams and aspirations alone will leave us dry and cracked like clay without the potter. Ask Him to share His heart with you and He will.
Also Available from Angel Edwards;
Also Available from 10:31 Life Ministries;
The Truth: Why Love The Word by Jonathan Faulkner
College Commitment: The Toughest Test by David Faulkner
The 10:31 Archives: Finding a Church by 10:31 Life Ministries
Confessions of a College Freshmen; That One AM Feeling by Amy Faulkner
To contact 10:31 Life Ministries email us at: hi1031.ministries@yahoo.com
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