Into the Future With Jesus part 1

 ​I'm sure you've had people ask what you want to be when you're older. It's an easy way for some people to start a co​nversation if they don’t know what to say.

The most important thing, of course, is to be a better follower of Jesus wherever He leads you. We all have dreams as kids that might or might not happen. I never played big league baseball, never walked on Mars (of course, no one has), and am not President. (In 2004, when I turned 35, I did register as an independent for President and in whatever states I coud, thanks to the Internet. I might have gotten a few votes, though write-ins aren’t really counted – I like to imagine I got them from somewhere. 😊 ) But, while I’ve struggled at times like anyone will, I am closer to Jesus now than I was.

Jack Lang taught Government at McKinley my Senior year. He said something before the last final that he likely said each year. “For some of you, this will be the last test of your formal education. But, I hope you strive to keep learning the rest of your lives.” Some, like me, went to college - even beyond. Some went into trades like plumbing, electricial, etc.. Some already had jobs. There were many different situations. In the same way, God has different plans for each of us. But, we should all have this in common – continuing to grow in Him.

God gives us dreams, just as we have our own. His dreams, of course, are about growing in and serving Jesus. This doesn't just mean things like missions, though that's a big one. It can mean any job you love, where you can be a Godly influence. It can be something that’s not about your job, but about your free time, like teaching Sunday School. If that’s the case, make sure what you do doesn’t interfere with what God calls you to do.

Sometimes, our dreams and God’s are the same. My Uncle Tim saw kids with club feet in a magazine article when he was 8, knew he wanted to be a doctor, and let things happen as he learned about it. The Lord led him into orthopedics, and he had a great career. Two sons are doctors, too, in fact, and his other kids are all successful in other areas. God can put ideas in our hearts, we just have to trust Him for how to do His will.

Other times, they are different. Billy Sunday was the fastest man in baseball in the 1880s. Before he could have much of a career, though, God called him to preach. As Charles Spurgeon once said, “If God calls you to be a preacher, don’t stoop to being a king.”  In other words, as great as your worldly job is, it’s nothing compared to serving God.

Sometimes, God’s timing is different. From our point of view, He’s changing things. But, from His, He was always using tht first part of our lives get us ready for the next. Josh Steward and his family are like that. He was a successful plumber with a great, Godly family, a perfect situation. Then, God called him and his family to Ireland as missionaries. He was preparing them but they didn’t know it at first. They were faithful in all the little things, though. So, God gave them bigger things to do. Sometimes “bigger and better things” means more chances in one field, like my uncle. Sometimes it means God will call you elsewhere, like them. No matter what, the safest place to be is always the center of His will.

Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” When you delight yourself in the Lord, you’re growing in Him and asking Him to direct you to the center of His will.  And, we know His will is perfect, and will be something you love, because He made you just for that. Whether it’s something you knew as a child you would love (like my uncle) or something you never expected but that God you you’d grow to love (like the Stewards.) Just ask the Lord to give you dreams that match the great plan He has for your life.