"Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." ~Philippians 3:13-14
If you were to ask any of my friends to describe me in one word they would probably use one of the following adjectives: organized, planner, goal-oriented, driven, obsessive, or detailed (maybe even crazy!). By God's grace, I have been blessed to be extremely detail oriented and goal focused, constantly looking toward the next conquest or how to make a system or procedure more efficient. Some would even say I am a visionary, often pondering how the impact of my decision (or those of others) will look 10 or 20 years from now.
So imagine how my life looked a few months ago, when I had absolutely NO GOALS!
Yes, for about three months, I was wafting through life, with no goal, no vision, no hope. It happened after I was dealt a blow from someone I loved when they rejected my attempts at reconciliation. Crushed, I literally thought my life was over.
In my state of despair, I didn't care what I ate, which led to me gaining 30 pounds; I didn't care how I spent my money, which led to me accruing even more debt; and I didn't care about or nurture my relationship with the Lord. I was slowly, but surely dying a slow spiritual death.
"Where there is no vision, the people perish." Proverbs 29:18
I'm not sure when the Lord lifted me out of my pit of despair, but when He did, my entire outlook on life turned around for good!
Rather than eating my emotions away in a bag of cookies, I joined a weight loss program and have already lost 12 pounds off my frame!
Instead of paying for "retail therapy" to dress up my mess, I am now on a budget with a goal to be debt free in the near future.
Thankfully, my relationship with the Lord is on the mend. I am even more active in my church now than before, and seeking God daily through spiritually inspired books and devotionals.
And by the way, that loved one who rejected me which led to my downward spiral, told me they loved me after all. I'm sure it was there all along, but it took me readjusting my life goals and realigning my focus on the deeper character issues in my life before God would turn their heart back toward me.
"In the Lord’s hand the king’s heart is a stream of water that he channels toward all who please him. Proverbs 21:1
I thought of writing this devotional as I was waiting in line today thinking of the many people who we walk pass every day who are battling the same feelings I was just a few short months ago: loneliness; hopelessness; emptiness and all the negative baggage that goes along with those emotions.
Maybe this is you right now.
Are you feeling like life has no purpose? no meaning? no depth?
If so, I hope my story has encouraged you to seek the Lord for His help, He is just waiting to restore your hope and give you a vision for your future bigger and better than anything you could ever hope for or imagine. Seek Him!
"'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
By: Moms Rebuilding Their Homes
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