Are you trying to make sense of the struggle you are having?

Are you struggling right now? What if the struggle you are facing right now is to lead you to your purpose? Do you know what I mean?

What if the reason for my struggle is to get me to a place where I am so uncomfortable that I overcome my fear and actually step into my God-given purpose?

The struggle pushes me to faith and prompts change… A different direction. Therefore, the struggle leads me to my purpose.

I believe the Lord implants everything we need for us to accomplish his will and calling.

That scripture tells us that He gives us everything we need, but we have to do something with it. We have to continue to grow and look for Him and exercise our faith.

He blesses us with gifts, talents, and natural abilities as a start, but sometimes we need a little help pinpointing what He wants us to learn. I think this is where the struggle itself can be a gift so that it will push us to seek Him and His vision for our lives more clearly.

Insightfulness, discernment, and understanding were all gifts that I realized I had many years ago, as I knew as a teenager, that God was calling me into the counseling field.

Why are insight and understanding so important anyway?

Well, for starters insight helps us to see those things in us, those characteristics that need to be changed.

Ugh! Change.

However, change is necessary to grow into who God created me to be.

So what in the world is all of my struggles lately about? Well … lately is probably not an accurate description. It’s been about the last eight to ten years or so and coincides with the time I enrolled in college for, what I believed, was God’s plan for my life, counseling. I’ve been seeking Him daily and trying to grow myself, and strive to do good for others and my family.

This is the thing that I have come to realize.

For me, sometimes struggles are to get me to do something different, and sometimes the struggles are because of spiritual warfare so Satan can stop me in my tracks. He knows he’s going down and is fighting to take every last one of us with him.

The Bible tells us that the thief came to steal, kill, and destroy but Jesus came so we could have an abundant life. As I reflect back over the last decade, I have to wonder, what is he trying to steal from me?

So, my response is, “Satan you can’t take Jesus from me, and you can’t take abundant life or peace that passes all understanding from me. However, you CAN have my failures and struggles, but I am stepping into God’s plan for my life and there, I will have abundant joy!”

Now, let me assure you. While I have no clue how every step of God’s plan will unfold, I don’t have any doubt that He led me to help people. He put too much of a desire in my heart for me to discount that.

As for specifics, I know that if I trust Him with my life, He will lead me to the specifics when I am ready for them.

Oh yeah! There are those times that I can’t seem to tap into what direction He is pushing me to. I just continue to hold steady and keep seeking Him. That’s the plan.

Just a little something to ponder …

Is God stirring you for something bigger than you imagined? Is Satan trying to stop you from succeeding in whatever your calling is? I’m not necessarily talking about having some big giant career here. I’m talking about just the simplicity of living in peace and joy. What is stopping you from taking that next step? For me, it was fear.

I heard it said many years ago, that fear was essentially placing my faith in the devil’s plan to steal, kill, and destroy. If that’s true and I’m letting fear stop me from living out what I know is God’s plan for my life, then I am choosing an unfulfilled life of heartache and struggle on purpose.

I know for certain, I don’t want that!

I have a clear vision that I believe God handed me, and now I’m trusting God for a clear plan about how to accomplish that vision. But I have to take each step as it comes.

Did I mention that I struggle with patience? 

So hang on, as this may be a bumpy journey, but it will be my journey for sure. I have to trust Him as I try to live intentionally in this life.

What is He calling you to? Is there something He is calling you away from? What is one thing you can do today to live and walk intentionally towards your purpose or discovering what your purpose is?

If you are struggling to figure out what your next steps are, I can help you get to where you want to go. Don’t give Satan another day of your joy. 

Sincerely, Christi

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