All at Sea

Do you ever feel ‘lost’ in your life? Asking questions like ‘what is my purpose?’, ‘am I where I’m meant to be?’, ‘if I am where I’m meant to be, why doesn’t it feel like it?’ 

These are some of the things I’ve been contemplating over the past few months and as much as I joke that it’s a mid-life crisis, it’s hard. It’s hard not knowing where life is heading. It’s hard having a dream that hasn’t materialised (yet), and being aware that it may not in the future. It’s hard feeling stuck in limbo – like I’m perhaps not yet where I’m meant to be but not knowing where that is or what the next step is.

 

Quite a heavy start for this blog post but it does get better!

 

When I look at my life like this from a completely self-focussed (and dare I say it, self-obsessed) perspective, unsurprisingly, it doesn’t help – I feel unsettled, dissatisfied and impatient.

 

In my first blog post I reflected on Jeremiah 29:11 and how it is a powerful reminder that we can trust God in even the most difficult circumstances and He will help us through: ‘“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.”’ More recently I have been struck by the last few words of this verse ‘to give you hope and a future’ and this hope is a theme that runs throughout the Bible. 

 

Hebrews 6:19 says ‘We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.’ 

 

When ‘hope’ is mentioned in the Bible, it’s not the kind of hope we say when we don’t know for definite what will happen but ‘wish’ for something – like when we say ‘I hope the weather is nice’ or ‘I hope I pass that exam’. The hope that is spoken of in the Bible is a sure hope – a certainty. A certainty that there is life after death. A certainty that the judgement and punishment I deserve has been taken by Jesus. A certainty that if I trust in Jesus’ death and resurrection I will have an eternity with God, instead of without God. 

 

Just like an anchor that holds a boat in place in the roughest of seas, as a Christian, I know that the sure hope that I have in Jesus’ act of salvation will keep me secure, even in this sometimes difficult period of my life. I know that this season of life will pass and that whatever the challenges are that I face in the future I can remain anchored in Jesus, the One who chose to give His life in place of mine despite my constant failings.

 

When I think with that perspective – when I stop looking at me and start looking at God, and when I see from the Bible (and my previous experiences) that God has a plan for me, loves me so much He sent His Son to die for me, has got my future planned out and under control, and has always kept His promises – I can see that, although it may feel like it, I’m not lost at all. I’m found.




Comments

  1. Beautiful post Abbie that I’m sure a lot of people need to hear. So encouraging and what an amazing hope we have in Jesus. We will be praying for you x

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  2. Abi, thank you for sharing this, it’s so honest and encouraging. I can really relate to those feelings of being lost, and I love how you’ve shifted your perspective back to God’s promises and the certainty of hope in Him. Your words are a great reminder that even in seasons of waiting or uncertainty, we’re never truly lost, we’re held and guided.

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  3. Many Christians believe that God has a plan for each person's life, providing guidance, purpose, and a hopeful future. Of that we can be sure.

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