As a Dallas Baptist University student, the phrase "Myers-Briggs" is, and will be brought up at least once a day while you are on campus. The Myers-Briggs is a personality questionnaire that determines strong characteristics found within your lifestyle. Surprisingly, many people are shocked by how accurately the exam describes them. The Myers-Briggs has taught me many things about myself. One being that I absolutely cannot function in society if I don't have something to look forward to in the future.

I can't tell you how many people have told me, "you need to live in the moment more" or, "don't worry about planning, just let it happen." While I can appreciate the free spirited, live-in-the-moment, friends I have in my life, it is physically not possible for me to function in society without planning or having something to look for.

Growing up, I had big hopes that God would be actively using me every single day of every single year. No matter how naive you may think this is, it is still true. Nonetheless, I did not understand that God wasn't always going to use me in drastically known ways. In this season of my life where I have no mission trips planned, no church organizations that I am leading, and graduation at least three semesters away, I find myself facing one of the hardest periods in my young adult life.

My hope for this article is that believers who struggle with a purpose driven life will recognize that they are not alone, and that those who don't have this desperate need for planning will understand how important it is to be supportive of their friends who do.

Here are ten things purpose-driven Christians with no plans may feel or experience in the "waiting period":

1. A Lack of Communication

This lack of communication can be with the Lord, friends, or family. In my case, I have avoided the Lord because I felt He had decided to no longer use me. Wrong! Having an open line of communication with Jesus helps you better understand why God has you where He does. How will you know when He wants you to take on the next thing if you cut off communication?

2. A Fear of Complacency

Part of me wanted to plan a bunch of mission trips, volunteer events, etc. for the fear that if God saw me being still, He might not love me as much. Wrong! God loves you in spite of what you can do for the Kingdom, for He knows that apart from Him, your best deeds are worthless. Lift the burden off of your shoulders by walking ONLY in what He calls you to walk in.

3. A Doubt that God Can Still Use You

You get to a point in this process where you forget all that God has used you in previously, causing you to believe that He ever will again. Wrong! God is using you in the midst of your void. Just because you aren't staying up in the wee hours of the night for a lock-in every Saturday, or writing in your journal every day, doesn't mean for one second that God won't forever use you in small and big ways during your fleeting time on earth! He will!

4. A Self-Loathing Feeling that You Need to Be Doing More All the Time

You feel hatred that you are spending time alone, catching up on sleep, watching a Netflix series. You begin to believe that all the world's problems are due to your lack of productivity.

5. Drastic Changes Being Made in Appearance and Home Life (quitting a job and more.)

I feel like this one describes me the best. I being to feel unwanted and unimportant in my workplace because I am not doing it to bring Glory to the Father. Work without a Christ driven purpose will lead you to a place where you are switching jobs every 6 months!

6. Isolation from the Church

For the first time ever, you may think that the Church really doesn't need you, and it hurts to not have a place anymore. Wrong! YOUR CHURCH NEEDS YOU. You are just as important as the missionary in Uganda, the pastor in the pulpit, and the door greeter handing out church announcements. There are no "frontline Christians"! You are and always will be needed to fulfill the Great Commission.

7. A Number of Insecurities Arising

Anyone could see how if you lose sight of what God has called you to, you can easily lose sight of who you are. Insecurities like intelligence, capability and appearance are inhibited when you don't see yourself the way God sees you.

8. A Sudden Love of an Old Sin

Ah yes. Of course, Satan would use this as an opportunity to completely uproot you in your Christian walk. Let me tell you, sexual sin is my weakness. Not because I think it's fun but because it is one of the only sins that has a significant impact on your whole life when you partake in any aspect of it. Other sins may be self-doubt, anger, bitterness, judgment, gluttony, etc.

9. Added Stress Due to Internal Struggles

OH, my! How true is it that we carry all of our internal struggles around with us in our work life, school life, relationships, etc when we feel we can't give these things to the Lord. That is a lot of weight to carry on top of everything that life throws at us daily. We, as fallen creatures, need a Creator who we can confide and someone who can lift the burden for us.

10. Total Abandonment of Faith

I can't speak from experience on this, but sadly, I am sure it has come to this for many people. When you feel God hasn't given you a purpose or reason to live, you move on to whatever will give your life meaning. This breaks my heart. Please, if you are at the point where you feel your life has come to mean nothing to anyone, get help. You have so so so much purpose in Christ; don't allow a blank calendar take that away from you.

If you are someone who needs something to look forward to in the future, I would encourage you to watch for these feelings and do the best you can to remain open to whatever season God may have you in. Every single word I have written in this blog has the truest most real place in my heart right now. I struggle with this daily. God is just now pulling me out of this sinkhole I jumped into a few months ago. I am still stuck, but with shirt sleeves rolled up, boots on, and all hands on deck, Christ is slowly but surely rescuing me. Keep your head up and know that you have Infinite worth in Christ!