Many people seem to be searching for God’s will for their lives in a desperate way. When I feel desperate, it usually means that I also feel powerless to change anything about the situation I am in. I have no power over the other person. I have no power over external factors.
I am discovering that I am therefore not the ‘director of my own life’. That is an illusion with which society is fooling me.
There are 4 basic emotions: Fear, Anger, Joy, and Sadness, and it turns out that despair falls into the Sadness category. But when I feel powerless, I actually feel a bit Angry too. At myself, the other person, or those external factors.
I feel angry because I think I can do absolutely nothing to make it better.
There have been situations in my life where I sank into an intense sense of despair. Situations where I felt unsafe, suffered a loss, or was excluded because of my limitations. In despair, I would cry out to God, but despite His promise in the Bible, I still felt alone.
Later, I realized that just crying out doesn’t help much… I also had to actively seek His help myself by going into prayer and looking in the Bible for the answers I needed. I believe that God Himself will then help you…
To acknowledge in despair that I am powerless… and then to seek contact with the Lord so that I no longer feel alone. So that I can tell Him about my feelings and so that I may receive comfort. To then be able to continue living with the Bible as a guide.
This is a lifelong learning process, because it is not easy to figure out exactly what you are feeling and what those emotions are doing to you. Articulating your feelings can be quite a challenge for some people, which is why it can be good to actively seek this out.
If you are looking for God’s will for your life, the first step is to build a personal relationship with Him and to start trusting Him in your daily life. To build your life completely on Him and to dedicate yourself to Him… in that special relationship, God will make His will clear to you.
Workbook
When you cry… are you crying because you are angry, sad, or because you are actually afraid?
How would you describe your feeling of despair in a prayer? How do you make clear to the Lord what is going on with you?
We have no control over the world, circumstances, or other people… we only have (a little) control over ourselves. What can you do today to feel less powerless? In which areas can you change yourself or make different choices?
How can you shape your relationship with the Lord Jesus in a personal way?