That’s the question I have asked myself more in the past month than my entire life. In the next three months, I have more decisions and transitions to make than I think I ever have. It’s interesting thinking back to the transition from high school to college and questioning whether I wanted to move to Texas or not, which school I wanted to go to, etc. I thought that was a huge deal and at the time it was. But now I feel like I am in the same boat. And change is always difficult for me and for many. This post is an avenue to share where I am at and really to hear any advice you might offer, while at the same time I want to remain grounded in God’s revealed will for me in this life.
It’s almost March which means I graduate in two months. Two months! I’ve begun looking for jobs but do not really know what I want to do. Possibly something along the lines of HR or a social media specialist for a company. Or heck, even some type of ministry position. With that said, if any of you reading this have connections or places you know of, throw them my way :) Most of you who are reading this are probably from Texas or Ohio since those are the places I am from. I thought I narrowed down the job search to the Dallas/Ft. Worth area until I began contemplating where God might take me. I never thought I’d consider moving back to Columbus, Ohio right after college, but that has become a serious option. It’s really all up in the air and I can’t say I have a ton holding me back here in Denton. Not that Denton is a bad place to be, but it could be a good time to transition while I’m young and single. The more I pray and think about it, the less I see that it is an issue of what’s “right” and “wrong” or where (geographically speaking) God would have me go. I feel like I am in a bind, which has brought me so much anxiety the past couple weeks that I have to surrender. But in light of that, I began to reflect on the big picture.
You know when you hear people say “I don’t know where God is calling me or what His will for my life is specifically, so I am going to pray for a sign for Him to show me.” That statement irks me and that’s not what I am asking Him for in this season. Don’t get me wrong, I want to pray for direction and guidance on where He would lead me, but that’s not my sole purpose in this. I want to glorify God in all things and do His will, but what does that look like? He lays out His will for us in the Bible. It’s all there. We operate as if God’s will was lost. And so we devise an assortment of methods for finding it. David Platt put it well by saying: “But what if God’s will was never intended to be found? In fact, what if it was never hidden from us in the first place? What if God the Father has not sent his children on a cosmic Easter egg hunt to discover his will while he sits back in heaven saying, “You’re getting colder … warmer … colder … ”? And what if searching for God’s will like this actually misses the entire point of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus?” Outside of the commands that Jesus lays out in Scripture, there aren’t specific rules or regulations on where we should go in life so I don’t get why so many times we fret about what we should do next or where we should go.
The more I spend time in God’s Word, the more I realize that the will of God is not a road map waiting to be unleashed somewhere. Instead, it’s a relationship that God wants us to experience every day. Jesus is a Savior, not a sergeant. God presents the Bible to us as an opportunity to know Jesus more, to fix our eyes on who he is. God’s will is not to be found, but rather followed because it already is revealed in His Word. As contrary as this will sound compared to what the culture says, this world is not about us. It does not revolve around me and that is freeing news. It’s freeing because I don’t have to figure out the rest of my life and I don’t have to get frustrated when things don’t go my way (although I often do).
The Bible is about Jesus, not about us. It is a story of redemption which reflects His glory, beauty, and majesty. And because He is holy and perfect, His will in the world is to make new what has been broken. His will is to call and save people to Himself, and bless His people for the sake of His name–not in a selfish way, but in a way that ultimately brings joy to those who marvel at who He is. How so? Because when we see God for who He truly is, we can only receive grace and see that He longs for us to find abundant life in Christ alone since that is the only place it can be found. God’s will is to transform our will into the image of Christ, which is the most selfless and joy-giving truth that He could offer us in giving up his Son so that we might die to our sin and live for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:15). We don’t have to wonder what God’s will is when we’ve been created to walk in it. Instead of asking God what His will is for us, we should be asking Him to align our lives and desires with His revealed will in the Bible. The point is to walk in relationship with Jesus and we will inevitably go the right way.
Through all of the hype in wanting to figure out where I will be after school, I think I have often missed the point of the pursuit for my life. I can be confident in this one truth, that God is faithful, and that I am called to display Jesus in all things. I am called to trust in His sovereignty despite what I choose to do regarding a job or where I move. So I have a choice to make on whether I move back to Columbus or stay in Dallas. I never thought I’d seriously consider moving back to Columbus, but I can honestly say God has changed my view. James 4:13-14 says “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit’— 14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.” For the longest time I thought I’d stay in Texas after college. It’s always been what I have envisioned and thought I wanted. Which who knows, I could stay here after college, but I’m trying to live open-handed and trust God. For those of you who are willing, please consider praying for me to trust God in whatever happens. And like I said, if you have any suggestions or connections, let me know :) I will keep you all updated on what happens in the next few months.
Blessings ya’ll,
Kenzie
Anchored 