Quit Thinking Ahead

The future is looming. Are you planning for it? Do you have every step plotted out on your route to success?

People are consumed by their goals. They are driven beyond belief. Always pushing for the next level, the next promotion, the next goal. People know where they want to go, they know how they want to get there, and they know how long it should take them.

Everyone I talk to here at school tells me their master plan. They talk about things like finishing their degree in engineering, or biology, or English, then going to graduate school, medical school, or business school.

They have their life mapped out, every step of the way, how they think it should go. But they're missing where they are now. Look around you, look at the life you are living. Look at how blessed you are to be at school, your biggest worries are what books you have to read, or what you are going to do with your degree.

The point is, don't get too caught up in the future that you miss the present. Sure, it is great to have goals. We all have things we strive for, we want to reach the top of the mountain, but what happens if we get there and we're not fulfilled? We have nothing to cherish because we ran through the journey as fast as we could.

You are where you are right now for a reason. You are part of a bigger plan, and doing your part just by living your life to the best of your abilities right where you are. God has a purpose for you, and has led you to where you are. Make an impact, right here, right now, quit putting it off.

There are a lot of things to enjoy about your life right now. Search for them, recognize them, and cherish them. Things will change, for the better, maybe for the worse, but they won't be the same. Some things you love won't be here a year from now, you'll be somewhere else, people will move on to different things, there will be new things to cherish, just enjoy what you can about where you are. Slow down a little bit. By all means, work towards your goals, but don't get too bogged down with busyness that you miss all the great things going on around you.

Also, be flexible. The Bible talks over and over again about how we can make plans but the Lord will determine our steps. Things will change, your perfect plan might not work out the way you set it up, but that doesn't mean you failed, or its wrong. Be careful not to look at your plans as the only path for your life. Do not put your goals for the future above following God's will. Because when God places you somewhere you are supposed to be, somewhere where you are meant to do something amazing, you might miss it sulking over your lost plans.

Enjoy where you are and be open about all the possibilities God has for you in the future.

"'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope."- Jeremiah 29:11 (NASB)