My son, Riley, asked me and my husband last Wednesday night, “What’s the word? What’s the dream? What’s the mission?” We had a free Thursday night as a family the next day, and this was his funny way of asking us what we were planning for us to do together. He hadn’t given much serious thought himself to the questions he had just asked, as they had just rolled right off his tongue, but I found them to be quite profound. I wondered, could these be questions to live by? Should we reflect on them for ourselves whenever we make our plans? They made me think of the importance of using our time wisely, making our one life count, and being passionate in our pursuits.
So, now I ask you: what if when we prayed we got into a habit of asking God, what’s the word? As in, His Word for us right now. Might He give us a Scripture to focus or act on? Could we also ask ourselves: What’s the dream? And along those same lines, what am I passionate about doing? What do I hope to accomplish this week, this month, this year, or in the next five years? Then, could we follow that up with asking the question: What’s the mission? What if we took time to contemplate our purpose in doing what we do. Would it lead to a more productive, fulfilling, joy-filled life? Who could we help? How is what we’ve got planned, today, going to further the kingdom of God? Then, returning to God in prayer, could we bring our dreams and mission to Him, and ask Him to align our dreams and mission with His Word and will for our lives?
The Bible tells us in Proverbs 16:3:
“Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.”
And then, in Proverbs 16:9:
“In their hearts humans plans their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.”
These two verses of Scripture seem to say to us, that by bringing our plans to God in prayer and expressing to Him our hopes and dreams for the future—while at the same time giving God full control over the direction of our lives—we will begin to see God move and work to establish our next steps and align our hearts’ desires with His will.
Now, I know you are probably dying to know—what did the Snyder’s end up doing Thursday night? While I can’t say we ended up doing anything particularly purpose-filled, meaningful, or exciting (mostly because I was sick with a bad cold and just wanted to camp out on the couch in front of the t.v. and watch the series, Heartland), but I did find myself reflecting on Riley’s questions in relationship with my progress towards a goal I’ve set for myself: to publish a book God put on my heart to write on my journey overcoming anxiety and fear.
You see, earlier that same Thursday, I received another rejection letter from a publisher turning down my book proposal, but had also just before that gotten to talk with my editor (who had just finished fully editing my book manuscript). encouraging me to keep moving forward with editing my book for publication. She had said my book had a good message, and that it would help anyone who read it.
It was in the midst of these circumstances that I looked to God, listening for Him to reveal to me how I was to proceed. I needed confirmation from Him that I was still inline with His Word, His will, and His mission for my life. So, I prayed, what’s the Word? And here’s what God spoke to my heart:
“Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6).
What is this good work God began in me? In this case, it’s the dream He placed on my heart: to publish the book He called me to write: Living Perfectly Loved, A Christian Woman’s Twelve-Step Journey to Freedom from the Grip of Anxiety and Fear. Making the mission: to encourage, equip, and inspire other people to live free from fear in the perfect love of God.
First seeking God in prayer, and having the benefit of hearing this confirmation from Him before seeing the rejection letter from the publisher, made all the difference in how I responded. It allowed me to let that rejection roll right off my back. If anything, I was encouraged by it! No, seriously, because it was an answer I had been waiting a long time for that actually served to further define the path God’s laid out before me. I can see clearly how God is making a way forward for His plans for me to succeed, even as I wait for direction for each next step.
Maybe Riley’s three thought-provoking questions have given you pause as well. If so, I encourage you to carefully consider your plans and pray to God about what He’s calling you to do next. Remember, God is with you always, and even if you don’t quite know what He’s calling you to yet, you can be sure that He is leading you and will get you to where you’re going. God will establish your steps as you continue to seek His face and walk with Him, and just as He’s promised He will complete the good work He began in you, too (Philippians 1:6). You can be sure of it!
