How to find direction in your life.
“May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed” Psalm 20:4
Have you ever been on a car trip and you started the trip with a sense of direction and confidence, and you thought that you knew exactly where you were going, but you took a few wrong turns and ended up getting lost, and had no idea how to find your way to your destination?
My husband and I went on a holiday a few years ago and one day we decided to go into the city. I got out my phone and found out where we needed to go on Google Maps. My husband started driving and I oversaw navigating our trip. I was enjoying looking at all the buildings, and we missed a turn off. We accidently ended up on a main highway, going in the opposite direction! We drove a bit further, and found another way to go, and found our way back to where we wanted to go.
Have you ever felt like that in your life? Have you felt like you took a few wrong turns and you have ended up heading in the opposite direction of where you wanted your life to go.
Most of us face life transitions that can change the direction of our lives, and we can easily get lost if we aren’t established in our identity in Christ.
Maybe you have been through a divorce.
Maybe you have lost a loved one.
Maybe you lost your job, or failed at a business venture.
Maybe you got married young and had an unplanned pregnancy and started a family before you were ready.
Maybe you made mistakes in your past that feel like they have changed your life forever.
Maybe you experienced an illness that changed your life.
He gives us our identity so we will be anchored to him all throughout our lives, and be strong and secure, regardless of what we face.
Why do we need direction in our lives?
We live in a world where social media, the opinions of others and peer pressure can sometimes cloud our sense of identity. If we fill our minds with watching TV, or scrolling social media, or listening to the opinions of others, its easy to start to lost sight of what God says about us.
The things of the world are all temporary and subject to change.
Basing our identity in them would be like a ship without an anchor.
When we are secure in our identity in Christ and keep our focus on him, we are unbreakable.
When we are grounded in his word, and anchored into his truth for us, we are unshakable.
It is easy to lose direction in our lives, if we don’t know who are and who we belong to.
I believe when we are sure of our Identity in Christ, and we know who God is to us, it helps us find our life direction.
Have you ever seen a big ship sailing out to sea? Its amazing to watch them sail through the water towards the horizon. Most ships that you see sailing out to sea have a direction and a plan for its journey. The ship knows the route it is going to take to get there. It has a mission and is prepared for anything that might come its way.
Your Heavenly Father has a plan mapped out for your life. He made you, he loves you and gave you specific strengths, skills, gifts and talents to use to reach your dreams. He knows what you have been through and how strong you are. He will lead you in every decision you need to make and if you let him, he will guide and direct you throughout every season of your life.
I love this verse from the Bible, it says, “The LORD will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever flowing spring” Isaiah 58:11
Do you feel like you know the purpose and that plan that God has for your life?
Has God showed you the direction he wants you to take?
Sometimes the journey to discover the answer to these questions take time, or sometimes we know straight away what we are called to do.
The best thing to do if you are wondering what God has called you to do is to try a few things. You might volunteer at a nursing home and love bringing joy to others. You might coach a soccer team and work out you love it. You might set up a small business and discover a passion for building businesses.
As you move forward and try new things, you will find something that you love and are passionate about, and God will lead you in the direction to take.
Just like reading a map and following the directions to get to a destination, the Bible can give us clear instructions and guidance as we discover the direction God has for our lives.