One would suppose that if we are born, we should know how to live. Like entering some profession. You usually enter a profession with the sufficient knowledge to guide you in all its endeavors.
However, life is not such that you exit the womb with a manual at hand. That hasn't been devised yet... and frankly it never will be.
We have no manual for life. And this manual I'm speaking of is one that tells you, "Once you've completed your 15 years of life you must begin to search for your future house on your county's property site. You may find that at..." Sort of a step by step process. And as ridiculous as that may sound, I myself have daydreamed of such a patented invention. But we are no robots, therefore that's out of the question.
I have a job, just applied for a second one, I have my eye on a house on sale right down the street (I sometimes even tell it, "You're mine..." as I drive by), I'm graduating in a year and I don't know where I'm going after that, I want to go on a trip to Virginia or California (it'll mostly be Virginia) that I yet have to save up for, I'm requesting information from various psychology/counseling organizations to volunteer and maybe set a rapport there for a future career, I gladly serve in Jr. High ministry and I also long to serve in the young adult/college ministry, I have 6 classes ready for me on the next train...
So the above offers many "Ifs" and "Maybes." You could call them plans or even dreams. However, in this segment of my life I feel like I am at a turning point. Like at a crossroads. What decisions to make, which way to go, how fast to go, how slow to go, do you look at your feet while you're walking so you won't get discouraged by the long seemingly unending road ahead or do you look ahead to become encouraged to keep going or would that in turn discourage you because of how long it seems?
We don't learn how to breathe, we just do. So how come it seems so complicated to live?
Well then let's ask, "What's driving you?" You're not driving yourself that's for sure. But something IS.
Some can say it's your desires and passions, others can denote them as whims. But why do we even HAVE desires and passions? Who or what creates those? Here comes the question we all love:
Who do you worship? You MUST worship something. Some decide to worship their money, their idleness, their work, their giftings or Jesus Himself.
In my life I like to think, "Either you worship God or you don't." Simple and to the point. Either you love Him with your life or you don't.
And THAT'S the defining moment at the crossroad.
As you worship Him (note the "as"... it's not a one time thing... it's a continuous, progressive thing), you WILL know where to go. You WILL know where to turn. You WILL know how fast to walk. You WILL know where to look. You WILL know when to pause.
All desires and passions take you somewhere. But how do you know that your desire and passion is the right one...that where they'll take you is actually where you're meant to be when you get there.
If it glorifies the Lord, it's His will. 1 Corinthians 10:31 says, "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." (emphasis added)
We don't have a step by step manual for our movement on earth, but we do have the Book of Life (literally)in our hands for our time here which even echoes into eternity (the rest of everything). I'm not being metaphorical either. That's exactly what it is, the Book of Life given by the sole Creator of the universe; that God you can't see. So if He created the universe, that includes what's in the universe. It includes you and I. So if it weren't for His gracious will of creating us (giving us life, the reason you are reading this at this exact moment... because He decided to make you.) you wouldn't exist. Do you see the scope of eternity? Even a genuine glimpse of it tends to shock even for a millisecond... enough to get your purpose back on track.
As I'm learning how to live, I'm learning where I must go. But this is only because I ask the all-knowing being God for where to go... like a child asks daddy for permission. I cannot see the future, and in all sincerity I'd rather not. He can though :) And I'm so glad He can because that means He knows where I'm supposed to be in 10 years, in 3 years, in 5 months, in 2 days, tonight. I say "supposed" because He has a plan for me. He's already made my schedule. But it's up to me to follow it or do my own thing. But I choose to follow it. It's a perfect schedule, you know. There are no glitches in it because He planned it all.
So when He asks me every morning, "Do you want to follow the schedule I set up for you today?"
I'll say, "I do."
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