Whose life are you living? Is it the life you really believe God wants you to live—the life you’re truly meant to live—or the one that someone else has designed for you?
It’s so important for us to ask ourselves these questions and honestly search our hearts. Because if we’re not following the leadership of the Holy Spirit in our lives, we’re going to be unhappy, frustrated people who are just making it through the day. And that is not God’s plan for us!
I used to be a miserable Christian, and I’ve met a lot of cranky Christians. I’ve discovered that many times, the problem is we aren’t willing to follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit and do what God wants us to do. We’re more concerned with pleasing people and being accepted by everybody else, so we get caught up just doing what we believe others are expecting of us.
The truth is living a life of adventure is all about discovering God’s purpose and plan, doing what He puts in your heart to do. And that takes courage and faith.
Dare to Be Different!
When you’re really ready to tell God, “I want to follow You!” He’ll start pulling you out of your comfort zone and the “boxes” you’ve been living in. And when you start making changes, some people won’t like it.
But your life won’t change if you’re not willing to change.
I remember a time when I was so confused about who I was supposed to be, and I was more concerned about living up to other people’s expectations rather than God’s. I tried to be like my pastor’s wife; she was so sweet, mild and submissive to her husband. I tried to be like Dave, who never worried about anything. And I tried to be more like my neighbor, who was good at sewing and gardening.
So I made clothes for my family, but they couldn’t wear them. I also planted a garden so I could raise and can tomatoes, but the night before we were going to pick them, big black bugs came and ate holes in them.
Once I made a determined decision to follow God’s plan for my life and stop comparing myself to others, I began to discover who He created me to be and His purpose for me. I was so scared when He called me to the ministry I’m doing today. I lost some friends, was asked to leave my church, and faced opposition from people who didn’t believe women should teach God’s Word.
I remember praying, “God, I can’t do this because I’m a woman!” He spoke to my heart, saying, “You don’t think I know that?” And I knew it was time to break free from fear and take a step of faith.
Confidence Is Key
There is no life of adventure unless we’re confident, but I’m not talking about being self-confident. Philippians 3:3 (NIV) says, “For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh.”
The apostle Paul is saying here that true believers in Christ put their trust in God and rely on His Spirit to guide them and empower them in every area of life. They “put no confidence in the flesh,” or their own strength and ability.
This is so critical because the fear of failure and what others think is crippling people from reaching their God-given destinies. But when we know who we are in Christ and how much God loves us, we can have confidence to live by faith and break free from fear.
We can step out and find out if something we believe we should do is actually God’s plan. And if it doesn’t work out, we can say, “I thought it was God, but it wasn’t. It didn’t work out so I’m going to try something else.” That’s how we learn to hear His voice in our hearts.
I’ve made mistakes in my journey, of course, and I’ve discovered that it’s not the end of the world. It’s actually helped me learn how to discern when the Holy Spirit is speaking to my heart with greater confidence. And that’s the key to having the courage to live with bold faith in Christ so I can experience the adventure He has for me.
Ask God to show you the desires in your heart that He’s given to you and what His plan is for you. Study His Word and get as close to Jesus as you can possibly be. Put your confidence in Him and take steps of faith as He leads. God loves you, and He wants you to experience the life He’s created you to live! {eoa}
Joyce Meyer is a New York Times’ bestselling author and founder of Joyce Meyer Ministries, Inc. She has authored more than 100 books, including Battlefield of the Mind and her brand-new biblical commentaries of Ephesians and James (FaithWords). She hosts the “Enjoying Everyday Life” radio and TV programs, which air on hundreds of stations worldwide. For more information, visit joycemeyer.org.
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