My life is awesome.
I’m a college student living rent free in a beautiful town. I have a great job, great pay with awesome hours, and a boss that is super chill. I’m super close to my siblings; we always find something to laugh about…every 5 mins. I have great friends and a cool group of people I surround myself with. All in all, its the good life.
That being said, I still live everyday as if I’m preparing for the next. Almost all of us do. Since we were little nuggets starting kindergarten, we have been told we were preparing for the next big thing. Elementary school prepares you for middle school. Middle prepares your for high school. High school prepares you for college. College prepares you for a job, but lets be honest, in this economy college is preparing you to move back into your parents house questioning why you spent so much money a piece of paper and wondering what the heck you are going to do next. It’s non-stop. We are told that “life” happens somewhere in the future just outside of our grasp, and if we get past this one step, we will be that much closer to it.
I remember as a freshman in high school being uncomfortable with this never ending cycle. I distinctly remember a girl in my geometry class ask the number one most asked question in classrooms across the country. “When will I use this in real life?” I couldn’t help but say, “What do you mean, this IS real life!” The truth is the bible says something totally different than what we are taught. According to the bible, God knew you and planned out your life before you were even born (Jeremiah 1:5). Your purpose and calling started the day you were born. You didn’t have to study or practice or sit for a test. You were born and your life started.
In 1 Samuel 14, the Israelites are knee deep in battle with the Philistines. While they were stuck in a corner, Jonathan says to his armor boy, “Come, let’s go over to the Philistine outpost on the other side.” So they crawl up to the Philistine camp and as the approach Jonathan plans a bold attack. “Come on, then; we will cross over toward them and let them see us. If they say to us, ‘Wait there until we come to you,’ we will stay where we are and not go up to them. But if they say, ‘Come up to us,’ we will climb up, because that will be our sign that the LORD has given them into our hands.” God gave the Philistines into the hands of Jonathan and his armor boy and the two of them ended up killing 20 people. The Philistines panicked. Saul, who was with the army, saw all this commotion and was ready to take advantage when he gets a report that Jonathan and his armor boy were missing. He realizes what just took place and leads the army to attack with the ark of God on the front line. Verse 22 says, “When all the Israelites who had hidden in the hill country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines were on the run, they joined the battle in hot pursuit.”
Now I don’t know about you, but that last group might be THE LAMEST group of people in the bible. I mean Jonathan starts the battle with only one other person at his side. Saul joins in after seeing the effect and charges with his army, and only after they see that the Israelites were winning to the cowards come out and fight. That’s where it hit me. I don’t want to be in that last group. God’s plan for my life isn’t to watch people do great things and follow behind when its all said and done, its to go out and do them. I want to be like Jonathan, living the life God planned for him day in and day out. You may not always be a Jonathan, you may be a Saul sometimes, but my prayer is that we would never be the ones hiding in the bushes waiting for “life” to begin.
“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. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the LORD…” Jeremiah 29:11-14.
Post Twenty-five Life 