Have you ever been in a place where everything you put your hand to did not seem sufficient, impactful, or better yet led to a dead end?
I have personally experienced a season like this. It wasn’t’ the fact that what I was doing was terrible, but I believe (looking back) it wasn’t where I was supposed to be at that specific time. Several factors can cause this outcome. Here are a few that I have pondered.
- Putting yourself in a place where you thought God would have you.
- Giving in to what everyone else thought was ‘right.’
- Trying to make something ‘good’ happen in your own strength.
Regardless of what puts us there, it is hard to deny the less than significant outcome we experience as well as the lack of rest and peace we embody all while searching for answers in a season we were never meant to journey through.
Like I mentioned earlier, I have been there before and the realization of what was happening didn’t even occur to me until after a mess resulted, and I was left questioning every ounce of who I was.
Here’s what I do know. God is still faithful even in those ‘mess up’ moments. Though I might not have been where He placed me for that particular season - He was still moving and working among His People. As much as I felt the unsettling and ineffectiveness personally, His grace - moreover - surpassed my human frailties. All the more, it does not give any one of us permission to do our own thing - thinking God will bless the outcome.
Why do I share this with you? I come in contact with so many that are in a passionate pursuit to be used by God, to be at the right place, at the right time and ultimately desire to be in His Will. Circumstances that leave us depleted, wiped out with a sense of missing the mark can cause us to shrink back, derail, and lose sight of the ultimate plan God has for us. The truth is - there is nothing wasted in the Kingdom of God. He can use all things for His Glory.
If you are experiencing a similar situation, my encouragement for you is to get back up and lean in full throttle to Jesus Christ. No mistake dethrones His Power, and no desolation can overtake His Redemption. Allow yourself to reflect, confess, heal, and fully embrace His grace and mercy.
“I’ll make up for the years of the locust...”
“ In everything you do, put God first, and he will direct you and crown your efforts with success.”