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Blog #17

Trust the process

Youth Leader or University Student? No, I am a child of God first.

“When are you going to graduate? When are you going to get married? When are you going to find a full-time job?” are all the questions I get asked almost every day. Whenever I wake up every single morning, I ask God what purpose He has set out for me because the expectations my family has for me and the expectations the church has for me sometimes drain me mentally, emotionally, and physically.

It feels like such a heavy burden placed upon me because there are days where I just drive out to nowhere and cry my eyes out days upon days. I get criticized a lot because of my role in the church as a youth leader and an assistant vice treasurer. The criticism I face of not doing enough or not being enough.
 
To be an example to your youth peers, we must live up to this expectation that society has placed upon us. Sometimes what others fail to understand is that we aren’t perfect Christians, we don’t always have it together and we don’t have everything figured out. I have learned that it’s okay to not be okay because we will fall and fail but when you fall, the only way from there is to go up and failure always leads to success if you let it. I constantly remind myself that God gives the toughest battles to his strongest soldiers, so whatever we may face in life, the struggle is only temporary, and it is up to us whether we place our Faith in God and learn as we grow.
 
 If you asked me five years ago where I saw myself in five years’ time, the old me would’ve responded with “definitely graduated from university, married at the age of 24 and saving for my first home.” How my life looks now is I am still currently studying at university, very single and I still live at home with my parents. Yeah, not the life I had planned out for myself. We’re constantly reminded to not worry about our future and leave everything in God’s hands just as he stated in verse 11 of the 29th chapter of the book of Jeremiah.

Quote

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Jeremiah 29:11

So many times, I have given up on myself and even withdrew from university due to reasons beyond my control. Losing my grandmother who was my motivation had me thinking twice about my life. I slipped and went off track from God until I got into a car accident. I knew that day, God didn’t spare my life for no reason. Knowing that He has a purpose for me and that everything that has happened in my life, is according to His plan and His alone.
 
One thing I’m grateful for is knowing God never gave up on me. I am trying to make the most of my singleness by building my faith and strengthening my relationship with God. When you plan out your life, God always has better plans for you. Whenever my plans didn’t go my way, I would always ask God why my plans aren’t working. Learning to let go and let God, to trust Him and the process. When you know the truth of who you are and your worth in Christ, you have nothing to prove. Opinions do not validate your worth in Christ, we should only live to please God.

by Máke Puamau, Waikato Waiariki Unite

Some Questions to Consider:

  1. What hope does God offer when we are struggling?
  2. How can we practically live out the verse Jer.29.11?
  3. Who might need prayer in relation to todays Blog?

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