Will God Call Me To Something I Hate?
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The new year, for many of us, arrives doused in possibility. Ideas of what could be float around in our minds, dancing in time with the desires of our hearts. 365 new days to live in partnership with God and in line with His dreams for our lives. But what if you’re still figuring out what those dreams entail?
Over the years, I’ve found that many people, when trying to discern God’s dreams for their life, are filled with fear that God might have made them to do something they don’t want to do.
Allow me to let you in on a secret: One of the keys to discovering God’s dreams for your life is taking a look at the good and beautiful things you love.
I want you to believe that God wired you to love the things you do; He put the desire for those things in your heart. He wants to meet you where you are to help you build the things you care about.
Years ago, I had a friend who had a six-year-old son with autism. His son loved electrical towers, and each time they drove past an electrical tower, this little boy would say, “Isn’t that beautiful, daddy?” So what did my friend do? He drove his son past electrical towers at every opportunity. It made him so happy! My friend, I mean. Why was such emotion evoked over something he didn’t care a whole lot about himself? Because it made his son so happy! He found pleasure in what his son loved.
God delights in the things that bring you joy. He works through your desires, refining and shaping them into a purpose that aligns with His grand plan. Scripture frequently tells the stories of how God turned someone’s ambitions into instruments for His glory.
Dismiss the fear that you might not enjoy what God has designed you for. If He has destined you for a particular calling, you will find fulfillment in it — perhaps not always, not in every detail, and it may demand sacrifices. However, the joy you discover will be accompanied by the understanding that you are sacrificing something of lesser value for something infinitely greater. Trust that God takes pleasure in what brings you joy.
So what do you love? Business? Art? Staying home with your kids? Teaching? Baseball? Start there, and begin the journey to discover the life God dreams for you — one connected to the passions He has placed within your heart.