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I remember the moment when I said yes to a big life change. God had moved in my heart to quit my full-time job and begin work as a freelance journalist. The moment I made that decision, peace flooded my heart. Despite the fear of where this journey would take me, I knew I was walking in God’s purpose for me.

Everything felt right.

Until I began looking at worldly expectations instead of looking to Jesus.

I began focusing on numbers, on money and on the opinions of others. And I began questioning if I had heard God correctly.

Was this really His plan for me?

The peace that once flooded my heart spilled out from the pressure of the worldly expectations around me. I realized I had no idea why God called me to write.

And that scared me.

I began to believe that if I didn’t know all the specifics of my purpose, I couldn’t actually walk in it.

Have you struggled with this lie?

Because it is a lie. It’s a sneaky way Satan attempts to make us ineffective.

He whispers to us that we don’t actually know what God desires for us.

That we aren’t good enough to fulfill God’s purpose.

And if we don’t know the specifics and aren’t good enough, then we’re going to fail.

I became a professional at looking to that lie instead of to God’s truth.

I knew God had a purpose for me and that I was obeying Him in my work as a freelance journalist, but the lies made me begin doubting my abilities.

1 Peter 5 compares Satan to a roaring lion, roaming the earth looking for people to destroy. But this passage also reminds us we can resist him.

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.

1 Peter 5:6-11 NIV

Do you notice the truth here? When we humble ourselves to God’s purpose and resist believing the lies of the devil, God will restore us and enable us to stand firm.

But we must resist the lies.

3 Steps to Trusting God when You Doubt Your Purpose

Here are three ways we can trust God and resist the lies when we don’t know the every detail of God’s plan for us.

Tell God about your anxieties

God’s not afraid of our emotions. If He was, the book of Psalms certainly wouldn’t exist!

When the fear and anxiety of the unknown begin to overwhelm you and push out the contentment of peace, tell God about it. Pray over the specifics of your fears. Ask for peace and for wisdom.

God cares for you. He cares about your emotions and your desires. And if you desire to walk in His purpose, but fear maybe you’re missing the mark, He will provide you with comfort and wisdom.

He desires to walk with us through each step of the way. He wants to comfort you.

Write out Scripture for a sober mind

Nothing beats out the lies like the truth! We can’t expect to deflect Satan’s lies if we don’t know the truth.

This is why spending time reading, writing and memorizing Scripture proves vitally important. 1 Peter tells us to have a sober mind in order to stand against Satan’s schemes.

We have to be alert and aware of the truth so when the lies rush in, we’re prepared to stand firm and fight them.

Writing out Scripture can be extremely helpful with this. There’s something about the muscle memory of our brains telling our hands what letters to form on the page in front of us. Seeing our own handwriting expressing God’s Word.

It’s a powerful image.

What specific lies are you fighting in regards to your purpose right now? Search out truths from Scripture to combat those lies. Write them out and start believing those truths.

Talk with a trusted friend

Let’s not glance too quickly over the sentence in the 1 Peter passage that tells us we’re not alone in our sufferings. It’s easy to fall into the trap of wanting to think we’re alone.

When we begin to feel alone, we can start to feel sorry for ourselves.

If we’re alone, we can think nobody understands us.

Many times we believe being alone is easier than pursuing relationship. Yet when we isolate, there’s nobody around to tell us what we need to hear.

If you’re struggling to believe the truth that God has a purpose for you, talk with someone you trust about it. Maybe the people in your life won’t fully understand your fears, but they will be able to provide you with comfort.

And the really good friends will speak truth into your life.

The truth that even when you don’t know the specifics of where God is bringing you, it doesn’t mean God isn’t using you.

Don’t shy away from sharing your anxieties with a trusted friend. Sometimes it takes someone else speaking the truth audibly for us to really hear it.

Today, I choose to cast my anxieties on God.

I choose to believe the truth of Scripture over the lies of Satan.

I choose to enter into relationship and receive truth from another.

It’s difficult, dear friend, to look Satan’s lies in the face and stand firm. But there is such freedom in choosing truth. There is such freedom in trusting God’s purpose for you even when you can’t see the full picture.

Will you allow the truth to set you free today?

 

Emily Saxe was born and raised on the east coast but currently resides in Indiana with her husband. Working as a full-time freelance writer and editor, her heart and her pen are drawn to stories of faith as she helps people share how God is working in their lives. Everyone has a story to tell, and Emily loves helping to give people a voice to share their own story. Read more of Emily’s articles on her website, To Unearth

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