Our Purpose for our life vs GODS PURPOSE

Purpose
                  Have you ever sat and wondered what your purpose is? If you haven’t I challenge you to ask yourself this question a few times during your lifetime. This is a challenging question to say the least. A question that may not be answered right away. Sometimes we sit and wonder why us? Why me? What is my purpose in life? It is a real question trust me, and I have asked myself this before. I can vividly remember the first time I said these words to myself.
I was eight years old, and it was a rough year for me, and I felt like I was trapped in a bubble where no one could understand my thoughts about being “different”. As most of you have heard this story, I won’t elaborate too much on it. However, I recently experienced a time when I thought I knew what my purpose was and God had different plans for my life. We often believe that we know what our purpose in life is… but do we really know? We need to stop focusing on planning our own purpose and start focusing on the purpose God has set before our life.
“My” Purpose for Life
                  This is a topic that I truly did not understand or grasp until just a few weeks ago when God spoke to me and made this question very clear to me.  We often wonder what is my purpose? Where will I go in life and what impact will I make? Will I live in New York like I always dreamed? These are questions I have asked myself before and you see.. I am a planner. I like to have all my ducks in a line and know what I am doing in each moment of every day. When something goes wrong I have to fix it. You can look at my Pinterest and my life will be all “planned” out, from my wedding to my future home. This idea of planning is not uncommon for my generation. Yes, these are all dreams and I am not saying do not dream because trust me I have big dreams as well and dreams are extremely important! However, we are all so focused on what WE WANT for our life that we astray from what GOD WANTS. My whole life I have wanted to do big things! I have wanted to change the world, and while I do believe I can achieve this dream, I also believe that I can never change the world with only myself leading me there. The only way I can change the world is by having God lead me there.  Recently in my life this has been a thought in my mind often and I think it is truly important.
God’s Purpose for your life
This idea can be very difficult to grasp and very confusing. Sometimes we think God gives us an answer but the next day it is not as clear as we thought or had hoped. The answer to the Big Question does not come as easily as you may think. It could take days, months, and even years, for Him to answer. During this process…

1. Keep Praying
2. Listen Closely to the little signs
3. Don’t give up
4. Know God has a different Purpose for everyone

My Experience
As most of you know the only way I could ever write my blog is if I had my own experience of each situation I write about. So if you were wondering how this big question with lots of thoughts got into my head, well this is how. As you read earlier I am a planner, and I am always coming up with crazy new dreams. Recently I had a dream but I started listening to everyone’s voices around me instead of the one God was speaking to me. Finally, in the midst of that dream I stopped listening to what “my own” purpose was or what I thought it was and I started listening to God’s words. He spoke to me more clearly than ever before. During this time in my life I was so caught up in what I “thought” my purpose was that I wasn’t looking at the bigger picture right in front of me. God said to me, “Sarah while this purpose is great it is not your purpose I have set before you. I have a different path for you to take, follow me and trust me.” I have been humbled and blessed by these words God has spoken to me, and I encourage all of you to listen clearly to the words He might be speaking to you as well.  
                  I encourage all of you to stop listening to other voices, and sometimes even your own voice and instead begin listening to the ONE VOICE that truly matters…. GOD.
Think to yourself… have I been living in my own “purpose” or have I been following God’s PURPOSE for my life?
                  If your answer to this question is the first one, know that it is okay!!! We all at some point in our life have lived for what we think is our purpose. I have, and sometimes I struggle with the idea of living for God’s purpose in my life. I go back and forth sometimes and if you do too know that it is completely normal. We are HUMAN! However, in your heart know that God’s Purpose for your life is so much greater than your own. Know that God has a plan for your life, he has a PURPOSE for your life as well.
I want to leave you with one of my favorite Bible versus….
“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
“Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.”
                  -Proverbs 19:21