By Antonia Usevicius
Do you ever think about what it means to trust that God has our future in His hands?
As a junior high kid I really wanted to be an architect. It was all I thought about, I loved the idea of buildings, and I thought I had found what I wanted to do “when I grew up”. I earnestly prayed to God, asking Him to show me if it was in His plans for me to pursue architecture… but I quickly discovered that it was not! That night God gave me a dream, where I was well into my adult years; I was married; I had children; and I was an architect. But my household was a house of chaos, a house without peace. And for my younger self that really frightened me. It was the first time I heard a clear “NO” from God that also came with a warning. But I do not share this story to scare anyone away, but rather I hope to encourage you to understand the importance of seeking God’s plan for our lives. Because that night God showed me a future that would happen if I were to pursue my own self-driven dreams.
God allowed me to see a future that I did not want, because He saw an outcome that I could never predict. That was the day I learned that my walk with Christ required me to put my trust in His hands. I decided that I wanted to serve God with my own life, with my future family, with my career; and that I did not want to be far from Him. So I saw that dream as a wake up call for me to choose to not just call myself a Christian, but to truly pursue an intimate relationship with Him! In Jeremiah 29:11 it reads: “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.” God showed me that my own “dream career” would lead to my downfall, because that was not the plan that God had for my life. This became a source of comfort knowing that God has set a direction for my life. When I go through highs and lows I know that God sees a bigger picture that I do not, and I know that He is with me guiding my life. Holding onto this truth that God has our future in His hands allowed me to see how constant God’s presence is in my life! Over the course of these past years God has given me opportunities and opened doors that I never dreamed of, that have been for His glory.
God wants to give us, His children, good things. But we will only encounter God’s goodness if we seek Him, and seek to obey Him. In Proverbs 3:6 it says, “Remember the Lord in everything you do, and He will show you the right way”. God wants to give us the best future, but we need to place before Him everything we do. This truth I have carried with me throughout junior high, high school, and now as I am heading into university in the fall. It has caused me to rely on God for every decision I made, and will continue to make. Even if many times I don’t see the reason behind the many “no”s that God has said, I trust that He is keeping me safe. Because with every “no” and every “yes” that God has put on my heart, I trust that it is Him leading me the right way in life. Even when we feel like we made the wrong choices, and chose to wander on our own way, we can also trust that God never forgets us and always welcomes us back.
I do not know where God will take us, but I trust that He has the best in store for us!
We will never see the whole picture, but continue committing your dreams to God, and He will give you direction in your life (Proverbs 16:3). I encourage you to ask God to guide every decision—from the littlest to the biggest of decisions—you make in your life, because there is nothing better than pursuing the dreams and plans that God has for our lives!
Hey there, my name is Antonia! I am originally from Brazil, but I have been living in Canada for over ten years. This fall I am going to the University of Alberta for psychology. I love Jesus and being a youth leader at Hope City Church!