You know that verse in Jeremiah that says, "For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord?" Yeah. It rings true for me every day.
I'm the kind of person who tends to take every aspect of my life into my own hands. Pick my own occupation, determine my grades, but that's my plan. That's not His plan, and that's definitely not the plan. Who knows what I will be doing after college? I certainly can't tell you. At some point in our lives, or more than once, we will try to control every aspect of our life. But, as a follower of God, we can't do that because our plan doesn't matter in the end. He will take care of us. All we have to do is let him. 1 Peter 5:7: "Cast all your worries on Him, because he cares for you."
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As a teenager, there is an increased amount of pressure on your back to "conform" to the standards of the world. And, some of us do it. I know I have. The pressures are great: dating, school activities, peer pressure to do things you don't want to do, and the list goes on. The good news is that you don't have to be like everybody else. Even though it might not seem like it, it's okay to be yourself. To not be like any of your friends. Because, the outcome of conformity isn't always great.
For example: For a year, I liked a guy, a great guy. I thought I was happy, but sensing the pressure from friends about dating was definitely evident. I became unhappy, very self-conscious, and wasn't myself anymore. We ended up calling it quits, because it was for the best. My point is this: you don't need to be like everyone else to be happy. Lots of people tell you this, and I think we brush it off and go on our way. But, we are loved for ourselves- our personality and our actions, and no one else can duplicate that. Romans 12:2- "Do not conform to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is -- his good, pleasing, and perfect will." this post is going to be combined with thankful thursday because apparently I'm really bad at remembering things...
this week, I was thankful for music, and I thought it would be fitting to wrap up my series with a song I found last night and really stuck out. "Take my hand, take my whole life too, 'cause I can't help falling in love with you" While I sat on my bedroom floor at 10:30pm last night, half asleep, strumming the chords to this song on my guitar, I realized that this song perfectly describes what God wants our relationship with him to be like. He'll take our lives, our hearts, and our mindset, and turn it completely upside down, and all we have to do is listen to him. Forget our instincts, what we think is best for ourselves, and listen to his plan for our life, carefully planned out with love and compassion. 1 John 4:8 - Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love" In preparation for Thanksgiving next month, I figured I would start something new. Every Thursday I will choose one thing that I'm thankful for and reflect on it. This one's a little late.
Today, I'm thankful for my friends. This weekend was the Relief Sale, a fundraiser benefiting a company working to aid others across the globe. Even though it was forty degrees outside, very windy, and rainy, we stayed warm with apple cider and huddled under umbrellas so we didn't get wet. They can always make me laugh, and cheer me up when something's not going the way I want it to. -Ephesians 5:20- |
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