My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. - Galatians 2:20
God made you. You were his idea and then he fashioned you from his very bosom. He breathed his life into you and you were born. Your very existence on this earth is because God wove all the molecules and atoms that make you, you together and you exist. So you have two eyes, a nose and a mouth, same as every human being, yet you have your own unique identity. Just look at your face, it’s like no other! Even if you’re an identical twin, your face still isn’t the exact same as your twin’s. Such is the wisdom of God.
God crafted a story for your existence, and he draws your heart even from the cradle towards him. His thoughts and intentions for you are all beautiful and all good. To co-create with Him, to birth His kingdom on the earth. To become like Him. And he invites you to walk with him. And as you walk with him he shows you what you need to do and how to do it. And it’s not stressful. Life isn’t hard. You don’t have to think of too much. Just walk with the Shepherd and let him unfold and direct the tides of your life
You don’t need to prove anything to Him, just walk with him. Respond to him in his love. Cocoon yourself in his affection. You exist because of His love so how can you doubt it?
Don’t let this world cloud your mind. Its ways, its wills, its plans patterns and demands. It doesn’t control you unless you submit to it. Submit to the higher way. The way of God. The divine way. The path of Yahweh.
It will not match the patterns and designs of this world. And you will not fit in. But if you walk with Him, He will make you into a heavenly man. Relevant for all eternity, like Christ. You have an indestructible life force within you, can’t you see that you were made for more than this mortal fragile world? Why do you keep drinking from broken cisterns when there are fountains of living water. Jesus is for you. Turn to him, live from his love.
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Life is easier when I remember that God has a plan and He weaves the tapestry of my life in days when I don’t even realise that anything is happening. It’s easier when I remember that He cares so tenderly for me…
I am loved so tenderly and so consistently by Him. He has made me a wonder. How can I be successful? Just by doing what He asks me to. That’s how I find rest for my soul. I don’t need to look at anybody else. Our life journey is as unique as our DNA.
For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago- Ephesians 2:10
How do you live the life God wants you to live? You must die.
'I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives. Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity. - John 12:24-25
I came to Christ full of dreams. I came to Christ full of despair that none of my dreams were coming true. I came full of unrealised ambition. I came broken, I came battered, I came desperate, I came empty. You can read about some of that journey here.
I came to Christ and He gave me love. I stopped trying to find my worth in my accomplishments and in my grand dreams. I realised, in Him, I was already worthy, known, perfectly seen and perfectly loved. In spite of every imperfection. I trusted His love. Love bold enough to bleed to death for me. I gave Him my life because I trusted in His love. My life was no longer mine to try and steer, control or manipulate. Oh what sweet relief. What peace finally cocooned my soul. I could finally rest.
I surrendered every dream I had to Jesus without knowing what His plan for me was going to be. I surrendered the pain from all my broken dreams too. I gave him my whole heart. You see, Jesus had to become all that I had, and wanted. He had to become the meaning of my life. He had to be more enough for me than dreams, ambition, career and success. I saw that He was genuine, sincere. I was tired. He had solace, He had rest. He had comfort, so I took it. I committed my life into His hands and surrendered completely.
'Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”'-Matthew 11:28-30
I gave him the reins. I asked Him to be my captain, and to steer the ship of me.
This was nothing grand. Just simple sentences whispered to the Lord in my University hostel. The earth didn’t shake. I didn’t get any answers immediately. No blueprint fell from heaven to show me every thing I was ever going to do in life. No angel came to me to draw out a map for me. No prophet deciphered or unlocked my purpose to me.
Life with Jesus is formed in the mundane. In the everyday simplicity of just walking with him and baring your heart before him. Not in the grand, not in the loud, not in the ecstatic. He heard me. Like He always does, Like He hears you.
Life continued as usual. It all seemed the same. My routines didn’t change. I continued doing what I was doing. But yet, everything had changed. I had committed my life to the Shepherd, and He was committed to lead me and guide me into his perfect plan. The plan that predated my very existence.
'You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. '-Psalms 139:16
And so, many months later, a conversation led to an opportunity the Shepherd had perfectly chosen for me. I turned to Him, and He showed me the fullness of what that opportunity was going to be, even the person offering it didn’t know what it was yet. The Lord knew, and He told me. He painted a wonderful picture for me, of all that the opportunity was going to become. I didn’t have the connections, expertise, or even a degree. The Shepherd simply said, “I will be with you”. It was more than enough.
The path wasn’t smooth, but He kept His promise, He was with me.
The Shepherd led me to a path I didn’t imagine existed, let alone think to learn about or train for. He gave me ideas that led to millions of dollars in outcomes. Put me in rooms I didn’t know doors existed to. Gave me a voice, and a platform. Taught me trained me and cocooned me in His favour. It was great! The Shepherd has bigger plans than your mind can conceive. Stop trying to plan everything out and just commit to Him.
There were dark valleys. Days of self doubt. Of arguments, disagreements, misunderstanding. Because even the people God chooses to use, are still just human. We are divine only to the degree of our submission to the Shepherd.
The Shepherd walked me through those dark valleys. Bade me to keep my eyes on Him. To not make the new dreams my meaning. To not forget He alone was my life.
He whispered new dreams to me. Painted pictures of a future I now had a little context for because He had shown me a glimpse of the path.
The Shepherd made my childhood dreams come true in ways I couldn’t have anticipated. You can read about that here Nothing is lost with the Shephered. If you make him your only treasure, you’d find other treasures you thought you lost in the palm of His hands. Only better, more refined, shining brighter. Better than you could have thought or even imagined. Sometimes you wouldn’t find the same treasures, but even better ones, and you’d forget you ever dreamed such small shallow dreams. You see, everything the Shepherd does is GOOD.
As I walked through the fields with the Shepherd one morning, in the quiet solitude of my room, He told me it was time to let go of the dream He had given me, walk out of that door He opened many years ago and simply be. I wish I could tell you it was a struggle or a battle. It wasn’t. I trusted the Shepherd enough to surrender, I only asked Him to make the process smooth,and He did. You see when your time is up in a field, even though the sun is at its peak and the grass is greener than you’ve ever seen it, and you think that this is where you’re going to be for days, months or even years, you must trust the Shepherd enough to move when he makes the signal. He is the defender of your heart and life and sees what you don’t see.
So I left my job, at the peak of my career, to do nothing but be with God. He planted a new dream in my heart and then asked me to simply do nothing but wait. I had to do other things in this time, like be in a different country and make certain life commitments, and I did what the Shepherd asked to do, with respect to the seed of the new dream He planted. I waited.
The story is still in progress and I’m still alive. I’ll tell you more as it goes on. Today here’s what I have to tell you: You can trust the Shepherd with your life.
One time, I knew nothing except the voice of the Shepherd. He told me to move and led me in the right paths.
Right now, I know a lot more. I know His voice too. He told me to be still until he asks me to move.
One day I’ll tell the story of everything that happened in this process of stillness and waiting, how all I had was the Shepherd. No earthly treasures, just His voice, provision and guidance, and how it was all more than enough even though my heart didn’t always think it was. That’s a different story for a different day. Life with the Shepherd is filled with adventures, and I’ve been privileged to go on many wild rides with Him.
Today’s story though, is of how I traded my ambitions for the cross. My mission in life is to see Christ glorified. I am not delusional enough to think that it is anything I do that will make Him more glorious than He already is. He is King, I am not. I have simply committed my life to Him, and asked Him to have His way. I meant it then, I still do now. I am committed to walking with Him daily and that’s how I found purpose. Not in a detailed plan, just in daily surrender and worship to Christ daily.
I know the example I gave is of something grand, and I’m grateful that He gave me those opportunities and experiences. Walking with the Shepherd has taught me that grand and mundane are same in His eyes, all He asks for is faithfulness and contentment in the paths He leads you.
My life isn’t less meaningful in my quiet seasons of obscurity when the days are simple, and all I do is pray, eat, take a walk etc. My life isn’t less meaningful when it is simply one person I talk to about Jesus. It’s not more meaningful when I travel to different countries and speak to huge crowds. My life is meaningful because it is in the hands of Jesus.
This is the life I found. A life committed to knowing Jesus. Trust me, when it’s time, if he has anything for you to do, He will show you how to do it and help you do it. Your part is simply to surrender.
Keep responding to Jesus. In him is life. This is how you find good success.
This is how Jesus lived. A life lived in response to the Father. A life filled with peaks and troughs but ultimately surrendered to God.
‘And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth. I brought glory to you here on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. Now, Father, bring me into the glory we shared before the world began. ‘- John 17:3-5
Trust God.
'The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name. ' - Psalms 23:1-3
PS: If you’d like to know how to recognise God’s voice, check out this article.
One Response
The Lord has been emphasizing that He is shepherd to me. Even in this time when all I do is pray for his guidance , He is constantly reminding me that He is shepherd and I am sheep, my begging him to lead me is weird because He is already leading me – my job is to follow.
Thank you for sharing this 🤍