“Taking the Pressure Off”

By: Teeya Pappas DeVries

Do you remember being a young twenty-something, or even an older teenager, and feeling like you had to know exactly what God’s call for you ENTIRE life was? If you are anything like me, you’ve wrestled with that thought over and over again. I remember being in the first year of a leadership and discipleship program at my church and agonizing over making sure I was in the exact center of God’s will for my life. I was living in such fear that I would take the wrong next step.

I spent so many mornings and nights praying God would speak so clearly to me about what my exact gift mix was and exactly how He wanted to use them. Then one day I was reading and journaling, and I came across this verse in Ephesians.

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10)

In that moment it was as if God spoke to me so clearly and said:

“My sweet girl, take the pressure off of yourself and just follow me. I have already prepared a plan for you. I am going before you, just continue doing the good works I stir up inside of you.”

In that moment, on an end of the year trip, in the middle of a park, I realized I don’t have to have it all figured out. In that moment, it was as if the weight of the world was lifted from my shoulders. And it can be for you too.

Our God is a good Father, with a plan in advance of how He wants to use the gifts inside of us. Let me encourage you, the plan is not to have you bound up in fear and full of anxiety, trying to figure it out.

So maybe today you are a high school senior, and you are paralyzed by the choice of which college to go to. Just know sweet girl, your loving Heavenly Father has prepared good works for you to do, because He knows you, and He already knows what your decision will be.

Maybe you are a new mom, who just brought your sweet little bean home from the hospital, and you’re bound up with the fear of your capacity to be a great mom. Be encouraged, you’ve got this girl! God has a plan prepared for you and your new babe. It’s a good plan, and there’s no pressure for you to figure out every little detail of it right now.

As you read this today, right now in this moment, my prayer for you, sisters, is that you are encouraged.

I am certain that the incredible gifts inside of you were created with a purpose that is already prepared for you. Our job is to trust God and be faithful to do the good works He stirs up inside of us. So today, take the pressure off.

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