Published 10/7/19
Read
"Now glory be to God, who by his mighty power at work within us is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of--infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes." Ephesians 3:20 (TLB)
Reflect
Is God's power at work in your life? Do you believe that He is able to do far more than you could ever dream possible?
Conner had been dating her boyfriend for almost two years. Without any warning, he declared he wanted to date another girl, and the relationship ended. "We both claimed to be Christians," she says, "but neither one of us was chasing after Jesus as we should have been. I was blinded by love.
"Though I was definitely hurt and confused. . .I was also amazed by my confidence in God. Although my heart was breaking, God kept reminding me that I was beautiful, cherished, and loved by Him--the King of the world! I knew I could be confident in His unfailing promises because He is faithful."
Conner was still confused, though. She wondered how God could allow her heart to hurt so badly. She was frustrated and angry. "I noticed, however, that as I began seeking God instead of questioning Him, my heart began to change. My goal became to know the heart of God. And that pursuit changed everything!"
Conner soon realized that because God loves her so much, He wants to protect her. "I no longer felt angry at God. Instead, I found myself slowly becoming grateful for protecting me from something that would have eventually destroyed me," she says.
"It was hard for me to imagine that God could bring someone better into my life, because at that time I thought I had the best guy in the world." Before the breakup, the plan was to graduate from college, get married, and Conner would pursue a graduate degree in school psychology. "This had been my dream for the past few years," she remembers. "I felt the relationship and the dream ending together. So, what would I do for a career? I felt so lost! And I'd already accepted a fall internship with a school psychologist."
Conner went ahead and began her internship but soon discovered school psychology wasn't where her heart was. "I hated it!" she says. "I can't imagine spending my life in that area. It just wasn't me." Conner spent her entire Christmas break seeking God's will about what she should do. What was His plan for her? Where should she go?"
"My roommate was planning on attending seminary after she graduated, and she invited me to visit the campus with her. It was amazing," Conner says. "As I walked through the campus, everything felt so good--so right. I sensed God tugging on my heart and leading me to pursue a seminary degree. I'm now deeply involved in my studies at the seminary, and I'm loving it! I know this is exactly where I'm supposed to be. I'm not sure yet where God will place me after seminary graduation, but I trust Him."
Is God calling Conner to remain single, or will He bring a man into her life? "If I am called to singleness, it's okay," she says. "Right now, I know that Christ has chosen me and is pursuing my heart more than any man ever could."
We can have confidence in One who always dreams bigger for us than we dream for ourselves. By allowing our confidence in Him to grow, we learn to live in the very center of His will. And there's not a better feeling in the world than being in the center of God's will.
Pray
Lord, I want to be in the center of Your will. Dream bigger dreams for me ... and help me to follow them. Amen.