And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).
"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" (Jeremiah 29:11).
As a college student and a young Christian, I am constantly told about the importance of finding my purpose or my "calling" in life, both professionally and vocationally. These two verses above, although seemingly cliche and often found as tattoos on young college students' arms, have actually had a profound impact on me recently. They have helped me put things into perspective and showed me that "purpose" doesn't have to be some daunting idea that I need to have completely figured out by the time I hit Sophomore year of college. It's a perfect and beautiful plan that God has made for each and every one of us. And the best part is, we don't have to do any of it alone.
Both Romans 8:28 and Jeremiah 29:11 explain that, because God loves us, He has an intricate plan and purpose for each of us. Not only will His plan bless us more than we could ever imagine, but it will also work towards something that is bigger that ourselves. With that said, I have one piece of advice for any middle schoolers, high schoolers, or college students out there: you don't have to have everything figured out right now. I mean, obviously, it's awesome if you do. If you are incredibly passionate about something and everything inside of you is telling you to go after it, then by all means go after it. But if you're an undeclared college student or if you're like me and didn't figure out what you wanted to do until maybe five minutes before you started college, I'm here to say that it's all good. Start with praying and continually asking God to show you and guide you in His perfect path, and sure enough, He will.
When most of us think about God's great big plan for us and the world, it tends to be a little intimidating and it seems a little impossible for us to do on our own. That's why we aren't supposed to do it on our own! Remember that God is all powerful and in control... and we definitely aren't. The only thing we are meant to do in this world is follow Him and His will for our lives and allow our Heavenly Father to work through us in that. And if you don't know what that purpose is, God will help you figure it out. All you have to do is trust in Him and let Him do His thing, because honestly who could do it better?
"The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away" - Pablo Picasso
