God, Where Should I Go?

As I quickly approach graduation there becomes more and more blanks that need to be filled in. The problem is, at this point you start to have a countdown timer on when these blanks need to be filled in. Here are just a couple of the questions that remain unanswered.

What will I do?
What do I really feel passionate about doing?
How much will I need to be paid to pay back student loans?
What else do I need money for?
Who is coming with me?
Will I need an apartment?

And even more importantly...

What does God want me to do, and where does he want me?

We ask this question so many times in our lives, yet for some reason we expect some type of lightning bolt to shoot out of the sky engraving the location we should go into a rock in the back yard. I guess I've kind of been waiting for my lightning bolt. Instead of doing it that way, I want to explore some questions we can ask to begin to understand more thoroughly where God wants us to go.

1 - Where do you want to be?
This is a question that many times can get overseen. Or perhaps we meet this question, and assume that is selfish of us to want to go somewhere when there is a need somewhere else. I personally believe that God works in many ways. For some people it is making them very uncomfortable. If you haven't been uncomfortable, then I believe that you may be very limited in your understanding and dependence on God. Perhaps you know what it is to be uncomfortable, and it is simply a matter of being happy where you go to do either ministry or your own daily ministry at your own job. This has been a very important question to me because I want to be selfish. I want to go somewhere WARM. I am actually writing this post from West Palm Beach, Florida in Starbucks. I look around, and know that I would be very effective in this area because I enjoy the warmth. That can't be enough though. I also look around and see that these people have money, and yet something is lacking. There is a need. When it is a place you enjoy, and there is also a need, that is a clear option for the future.


2 - Where is God opening doors?
This is a very important question. What may be even more important is asking the question of why is God closing certain doors. At times God has a funny way of manipulating the direction we go in. I know that most of us at any given time can look back and go "if (fill in the blank) didn't happen, then (fill in the blank) certainly would not have happened! What this does NOT mean is that we have to look for some deep meaning every time we miss some opportunity, or have another one offered. We do however have to prayerfully be looking at opportunities that God seems to be pointing at with a large neon sign.

3 - Where are wise and loving friends and mentors pointing us?
There are so many variables to think about when looking at where to start your ministry. Unfortunately we weigh our own point of view to the max, and the others are easily drowned out. We need to be quick to listen and slow to speak when it comes to listening to what people who love us are telling us. A new point of view on the whole situation can be very helpful from someone who knows and loves you. They can be a very helpful judge of the whole situation without your own personal bias.

Ultimately there are a couple things we need to remember that are of incredible importance. Regardless of whether we go where God was pointing us, we will be used. God does not give up on your life's purpose just because you went a direction you possibly should not have. No matter where you go, God is with you. Another thing to keep in mind is that WHERE we are will never be as important as WHO we are. James 4:13-14 says:

"Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes."

Our lives on this earth are just a blink of an eye in the view of eternity. What will make the difference will be if you truly loved the people who you ended up spending your time with like Jesus has taught, regardless of where you are. That brings hope. These are some good (starter) questions to help you go in the right direction. Even the wrong directions can bring out the most incredibly fulfilling life if you are truly thinking about the WHO, and not the WHERE.