The plan

[John Carlton]

Hello,
I am a 18 year old college student from Europe. I finished a Catholic High School in Europe and went to the Business Administration College , one of the best in the area.God blessed me with great parents, which guided my way in life, and with a magnificent brain. I can memorize anything after reading it twice and this aided me in finishing High school first and to get into college first. I always talk to God and ask him what to do, because everytime there is a choice to make, and I never want to make one that is not in his plan towards me. I had to choose between a great High School, when I was 14 and the weaker Catholic one. That time, my parents made the choice and it was great. I developed myself spiritually there even if I was skeptic in the beginning. I found there true friends and so on. There i started to see signs from God , telling me what to do. Small step guidance. Like, when i had to choose a college, I wanted to go to business school since I was 8 but I realized that as a lawyer or doctor i would be more helpful but God sent me signs that there is the place for me.A friend of my mom who is a teacher there came and introduced me to the teachers there (which could not happen otherwise) and after that i felt so much peace in that building that i forgot about the medical school. The exam session came, and in order to be well seen by employers I asked God to help me to become chief of promotion(it is a long term plan).Until now I got only maximum grades, even if sometimes i was not so sure about how well I did.God blessed me with the gift of speaking, I am a member of Toastmasters and I could make a career in this field too. I feel that God has a special plan for me, i see some opportunities next to me that could take me to greatness but how could I know God's plan, what is my role in the plan, what do I have to do. If I could understand, I could go straight in that direction without stopping (God also gave me rock solid ambition) to fulfill his wish. I really want to make a difference while I am alive, but how can I not waste my time, and know what I have to do, because God will clearly not send me an e-mail and tell me ) ?

 

[1watchman]

Great post, friend. You have done well, it seems, and you want to honor God. That is very good.

Now, be sure your belief in God is through His plan of salvation, for even demons believe in God, the Apostle James says. Salvation and eternal blessings comes from a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus, the Christ of God (see 1 Jn.5: 10-12). If one has Him in their heart and seeks devotion to Him and obedience, they will do very well. If you have not already, I recommend you prayfully read John 1; John 3; John 14, then ask God to teach and lead you. Look up always!

 

[Spunkn]

I think you'll find that God has some surprises for you that are you are not ready for. By that I mean we tend to plan out lives. What job we're going to get. Where we are going to go to school, who we're going to marry, how many kids we're going to have etc etc etc. The list goes on and on. Then God comes along and says "Well I'm sorry, but I have a different plan for you, and it's better than yours (just putting it in human terms).

The thing is, what we may think of greatness in our own eyes is not greatness in God's eyes. We think of greatness as witnessing to thousands upon thousands of people, bringing them all to the Lord, donating to charities and saving the lives of many children, and things like that. Now don't get me wrong, those are WONDERFUL things. However, they all need to be done in the mindset that this is God working. Not you. God works through you, but without His power we would not accomplish the many awesome things that He has in store for us. Do not let pride take hold, but forever be humble in that it's God's power that makes these things happen. Not us.

God will often never give you clear direction because He wants us to trust Him. He wants you to have faith that He will be there. If we were given a clear and set path, or if God sent you an email and said here's what I want you to do, would you really be forced to have as much faith as you do now? Faith is a way of getting us to trust more in Him and bring us closer in our relationship with Jesus Christ.

There are times when you're not going to know what to do. My best advice is pray about it. Seek out other Christians for advice. God often speaks through our friends, families, pastors or someone you may know.

 

[Peripatetic]

I really want to make a difference while I am alive, but how can I not waste my time, and know what I have to do, because God will clearly not send me an e-mail and tell me ) ?

You've probably heard that God speaks to us through His word... through scripture. I used to think that was just some kind of personification or example used to explain about the Bible. As I've gotten older and decided to really study the Bible, I've come to learn that He really does speak to us that way.

It's not something that changes overnight. For me, it only started to happen when the lessons, stories, parables, letters, poetry, and historical narratives started to come together. I still have a long way to go, but I never have more clarity than when I read God's word, connect the themes, and allow the Holy Spirit to open up my mind to new applications in my own life.

 

[1watchman]

Good counsel given here.

 

[parsley]

I've found some great business advice on Rabbi Daniel Lapin's site -- he has a free newsletter with inspiring tips that balance business and faith (also audio archives). He often speaks of meeting people's needs first, instead of striving to find what you want to do with your life.

Rabbi Daniel Lapin | The Grandeur of the Grind

In reality, we go through a series of jobs and career paths in a lifetime, and build unexpected skills and knowledge in each. What we want is something secure that represents us well, makes us money, is pleasant interesting work, uses our strengths.

But we should be careful of the temptation to define ourselves by our job choices. That is usually what gets us into selfish mode and blocks us from great opportunities.

"What do I want to be when I grow up" could be answered by "A beach bum," "The most respected man in the universe," "The owner of ten football teams," "The person who saved the world." Wanting what we want doesn't necessarily get us there.

Find opportunities in what you already have around you. Toastmasters is known as a networking venue -- start passing around your card, like everyone else does. Tell them what you can do for them, instead of who you are.