Stop Waiting for Someday

It's scary to think about the future, death, and your life purpose. Did you know your grandchildren's grandchildren won't know who you are? They won't know what you loved to do or which vegetable you hated most. They won't even know your name!

Think about it. In several decades, nobody will ever know you even existed. Your Facebook page will be deleted. Your house will be sold. Your money and property will be divided among those written in your will. Your dog will likely be dead by then. Your children will be very old, if they are alive.

There's one person, though, who will always remember you. There's one person who will always know you and love you. That person is God.

When everything you know is gone and everyone has forgotten you, God will still be there. You're not gone, or dead. You're with Him.

Until then, God has a purpose for you right now. We fall into the habit of "someday". Someday when you're an adult, someday when you get a better job, someday when you get married, someday when you get rich and famous, then you'll embark upon the greatest adventure of your life. Only then you'll be ready to fulfill God's plan for you.

That's not true! Someday starts today. I don't know what God's plan is for me or for you, but I do know that it's big. I do know that if you follow Him, you'll do things beyond your wildest dreams!

Remember God tells us, "I have plans for you -- plans to prosper and not to harm you." If you're waiting for "someday" now, you'll still be waiting for it when you're 30, when you're 50, when you're 87. God's plan for you starts NOW! It's already working. He's already laying the paths out and getting every little detail right so that it will be perfect for you. Today, with me, put God's plans for you into action.

Dear God,

I realize that you have amazing plans for me, beyond my wildest dreams! I don't know what they are, Lord, but I'm willing to trust you and take that first step in the right direction. Please help me to make good choices and live out your plan for me. I pray this in Your name.

Amen.

This is Part of God's Plan

I’m reading a book called Don’t Waste Your Life by John Piper, so I’ll probably be sharing a lot about that with you.
Anyway, in the book, John Piper (a preacher and Christian writer), says in the Preface, "You wouldn’t have picked up this book if God had not been at work in your life."
It was a pretty simple sentence where you would usually nod and say "OK", but it was more than that for me.
I was in a thrift store on Saturday, having only purchased a big pink ring, and then there was this book that had caught my eye. It was sitting in a sort of slumped position as all the books were – piled atop each other, on the ground, scattered across the top shelf. This book’s binder read, "don’t waste your life" in black letters. I picked it up. John Piper…John Piper…that name sounded familiar. I flipped through the pages, eyeing the chapters, catching glimpses of text here and there, then flipped to the back cover and began reading.
Why had that book caught my eye? I’m not exactly sure, but I know it wasn’t just out of boredom. God has a plan for me, and apparently that plan involves that book. Maybe that book is going to open up my mind about a whole world of things and change my life course forever. Or, maybe, that book’s purpose in my life was simply for that little sentence. I wouldn’t have picked that book up if God was not at work in my life, if this was not part of his great plan for me.
Ya know what? The same goes for you. God is your tour guide in life. He’s given you a manual to answer questions you might have. But he also talks to you and leads you. God will use anything to talk to you – billboards, commercials, web sites, prayer, dreams, books – anything that will get your attention. We just have to look around.
And who knows? Maybe God uses blogs like mine and The Next Generation is Us, Romans 12:2, The Christian’s Journey and the King we Follow, and ChildsPlay to get his message to you.
Just think about it. It’s pretty cool.
This – right here, right now – is one little bit of God’s plan for you.
You wouldn’t be reading this if God wasn’t at work in your life. There is something here that he wants you to read, something you can learn, whether it be huge or little. Are you willing to receive God’s message to you?
That’s my goal for One Voice: to give you God’s message, whatever it may be. Sure, I’m the one typing, but it’s God who’s filling me head with thoughts, dreams, and ideas for me and for YOU.

My Purpose: Switchfoot Speaks

Switchfoot gives us some advice on making career decisions to find out what your purpose is.

What advice do you have for teens making career decisions?

Jon: There’s a quote from A.W. Tozer that says essentially it’s not necessarily what you’re doing or where you’re doing it that determines whether it’s sacred or secular but why you’re doing it. I found that to be true in my life with all sorts of people. Certain people have a ton of money, but they couldn’t care less about money. They’re all about people. Then certain people in charge of some charitable organization couldn’t care less about people.
I remember something Charlie [Peacock] said that inspired some kind of motto for me: “People over projects.” He said at the end you won’t look back and say, “Oh, I wish I would have won more Grammy Awards. I wish I would have produced more records.” The one thing you’ll have is the people, those relationships. Where you put your treasure, that’s where your heart will be. So be careful what you invest in, where you invest your time.

My Purpose: God Picks

We all have a purpose in God's plan. We're all here for a reason. We don't get to pick our gifts. God knows what's best for us, so HE's the gift-giver. If we didn't have his guidance, who knows what would happen? Who would we be?
“If I had to do another job, I imagine that I would be a theology professor. That’s what I was studying before Crouton [a fellow band member] called and asked me to audition for the band. Or perhaps a draygon (spelling intended) slayer. Or maybe a fisherman. I think I’d be a pee-wee football coach.”
—Chap Stique, Family Force 5

Songwriting (Rebecca St. James)

Rebecca St. James, an Australian songwriter, gave her gift to God at 13. (See, you're not too young to serve a purpose for God!) She takes the common church songs and turns them into works of art with her clear, beautiful voice. Where does she get her inspiration?

Most of Rebecca's song ideas come straight from the outdoors, God's beautiful creation. “I’ll go for a walk and notice a little flower. I might think, Wow, God crafted that flower!” During her devotional time, an idea expands into the lyrics for the song “God,” for example. “Then I’ll start to sing to the words, and I’ll think, Yeah, that works!” says Rebecca.

Amazingly, Rebecca spends some time away from her career by talking to God and praising him. According to Rebecca, “Just like a prayer, worship isn’t reserved for one or two days a week. It’s a constant part of our lives."

Go check out one of her songs today!

My Purpose [part 1]

I was thinking about some of my friends yesterday. Maddy has a great sense of style and organization. Morgan will probably wind up taking care of the elderly, or the very young, because she’s kind and gentle. Tiffany, my cousin, can probably beat the snot out of any boy in football, and Corey…well, he would definitely make a great actor. As I thought about this, I wondered what I was here for. What was I doing on earth, if I wasn’t serving a purpose? What was my purpose?

You might be in the same situation. We all have God-given talents and gifts. But sometimes its hard to know what those gifts are. Maybe you’re good at singing, while some of us can’t carry a tune in a bucket, and you’ll land a job as a Christian rock star, jammin’ on stage, while I’m stuck here singing in the shower.

And what about your brother, who could play in the NFL? And your sister, who’s practicing for her ballet recital? But what about you?

What do you love to do? What are you good at? Really think about this. If you were given an award for something, what would it be?

In the Comments section, jot down everything that you’re good at – everything that is a gift from God.