"Patience"

Waiting on the Lord is sometimes hard to do
When anxieties and pressures are overwhelming you.
You cry out to God, "Which dream should I pursue?"
But inside you have doubts if He'll really come through,

Not realizing all along that God knows your heart.
He wants to fill it with faith and to fill your grocery cart.
God deeply loves you, so you must do your part-
Completely depend on Him right from the start.

Where there is faith, there is no need to worry.
Don't go without sleep or ask God to "Hurry!"
Though your situation seems to get more blurry,
Sit back and be a spectator, and God be the Jury.

He's the only one who makes final sound decisions.
Nothing ever happens unless it's by His provision,
So ask God to show you in a scripture or a vision
What you need to do to stay within His permission.

God never takes long to answer our prayers,
So beware of impatient skeptics and deliberate nay-sayers.
They don't know the Lord's opinion is superior to theirs.
His timing is perfect in all of our affairs.

Be encouraged in your time of waiting.
Precious life is certainly not wasting
Away, as long as it's God's path that you're taking,
He'll give that dream to you, so you don't have to do the chasing.

Why "Doing Me" is Unbiblical

    Everyone has been told at least once to "do you" or "do what you feel is right", but how do we know what is right? If I have a problem deciding whether or not to do drugs, and someone tells me to "do what [I] feel is right", would I be wrong for choosing to do drugs? It felt right to me, so it must be cool, right? There are many examples in the Bible to address this problematic way of thinking.
    In the tenth chapter of Leviticus, the first few verses are a short but significant story about Aaron's sons. Nadab and Abihu, two priests, appeared before the Lord to offer unauthorized fire. It is quite clear in verse 1 that God had not commanded them to do so. Therefore, He consumed them in fire "and they died before the Lord" (2). As the eye witnesses were shocked by this, Moses said to Aaron, "This is what the Lord spoke of when He said, 'Among those who approach me I will show myself holy. In the sight of all the people I will be honored'" (3). Aaron was speechless.
    Now, there was nothing wrong with Nadab and Abihu's wanting to give God gifts; however, their mindless initiative was not pleasing to God. He wants us to do things His way, not our own way. The priests failed to seek God's will first. Though God has a revealed will and a sovereign will, we are given His revealed will to consult for life instructions. God's sovereign will is what we witness each day. There is no wonder that we can make plans with good intentions, but still they are not executed in the way we hoped. This is God exercising His soveriegn will.
    In conclusion, do not be an arrogant decision-maker by claiming to know what is right based on a "feeling," but seek God's counsel and ask Him- "What does Your word say about this? Is this edifying?" Asking these simple questions may allow you to exercise better judgment in situations you never stopped to consider before. Then will you not only humble yourself and make wise choices, but you will also build a better, closer relationship with your Heavenly Father.

Finding Your Place

    There are times in everyone's lives when they are lost, looking for their niche. By following the crowd and doing what is considered "normal", so many become engulfed in a confusing and destructive circle of life. Whether you're a record-breaking athlete, creative artist, or competent businessman, following instinct as opposed to God- given direction is useless. If you are a believer in Christ as your Lord and savior, then you should consider your own understanding in this area. If you are not a believer, then you should consider how Christ can save you from error in this situation.
    For a moment, focus on your greatest talent- the ability that you have had since you could remember. Where did it come from? Did you acquire a talent by simply trying to be good at something? The answer is "no." No matter what you excel in, within your power and knowledge you did not make yourself talented. You have been given all your abilities from your creator: God. He gives us gifts for His glory (1 Cor 4: 7, 1 Cr 12: 4-11). Nothing we have comes through ourselves, but from God, so how can a creation boast on itself without giving its creator the credit? It is impossible and detestable to attempt. Though we all have different gifts, such as leadership, speech, encouraging, or serving, each gift has the ultimate purpose to make God known.
    So what we all must ask ourselves is "Where do I fit in?" You may know that God has given you the ability to sing or preach, or you may still be searching; either way you are called by His purpose (Rom 8:28). Do not feel pressed for time in finding your role in life, for God makes His will known when our heart truly wishes to know it. Immersing yourself in the Bible is always a great starting place; you can even ask for spiritual advice from someone who knows the Bible well.
    Let us not become so confident in our abilities that we forget the person behind it to depend on ourselves for what is so-called "success." Ask God how he wants to use you and He will show you, relieving the stress of doing things on your own- endless labor that sows no fruits. Then, you will be on a path to true success and triumph, for when we give God our steering wheel, his wheel power is much more powerful than our own will.