Answered: Finding God In Life's Constant Questions

"What do you want to do with your life?"

If you ask most American juniors or seniors in high school this, you will get one of various reactions:

A roll of the eyes.

A deep sigh.

Groaning.

Moaning.

Wailing.

Gnashing of teeth.

Okay, probably not that intense, but on the inside, that's what happening. Even into the college years, this question daunts many of the people in my generation, for one simple reason:

We don't know.

My generation has been called the most connected generation in history. One youth pastor described us as "notification-saturated." We know everything that happens instantly, at the touch of a screen, the buzz of a phone. It's wonderful...and terrible. Because it has removed from our lives any ability to wait or to not know.

And yes, we have ideas about where we want to go. Lots of ideas, in fact. From the time we take our first standardized test, many of us are inundated with letters and brochures from every school in the country. "Come here!" they shout. "We have what you are looking for!" Every possible major stares us in the face and begs us to choose.

To make matters worse, college, and every alternative to it, really does change the course of our lives. Two, four, six, eight, ten years--not to mention thousands of dollars--are spent on bettering ourselves and earning an education so we can go out and change the world. And anyway, isn't that really what it's all about? How we are going to change this world?

Talk about pressure.

A thousand voices ask us what our choice will be, and as we hear each one, our problem arises in the fact that we think, if we only knew, our lives would be complete.

I am here to tell you it's not true.

Knowing does not solve all of your problems. It solves some of them, to be sure. I love knowing. I love having an answer when people ask me where I'm going to school and what I'm going to study. But I'm here to assure you that places of waiting and places of not knowing are precious places, because they are the places where God works the most.

My God is a God dedicated to faith. He is perhaps most glorified here on earth when His followers act on hope they cannot see. He loves when we trust Him in spite of difficult circumstances. He celebrates when we take courageous steps in the midst of fear and failure. He honors faith-filled obedience.

"Faith," He says, "is being sure of what you hope for, and certain of what you do not see. And without faith, it is impossible to please Me, because anyone who comes to Me must believe that I exist and that I reward those who earnestly seek Me." (Hebrews 11:1, 6, paraphrased.)

So to my precious, notification-saturated brothers and sisters who still don't know, and don't know when they will know, here is what I would say:

PRAY ABOUT IT. I know. It's cliche, so much so that we've all grown tired of hearing it. But seriously. God said if you seek Him, you'll find Him. Ponder that for a moment: Finding God. God! In this world, in this circumstance, in the course of your life, finding Perfect Love, Perfect Peace, Perfect Strength, Prefect Guidance! And finding His hope-filled, future-filled, prosperous plans for you! Now doesn't He sound worth the seeking?

LISTEN. The biggest factor in my figuring out my major was not a neon sign or a voice from heaven. It was other people. Other people who, over and over again when I told them the career I was considering, said, "You'd be so good at it! I can totally see it!" The "calling" came later. Listen to what people say about you. Be open to feedback. Be aware of the words and talents people--especially godly people who love you--constantly describe you with. Those are your pointers.

TAKE THE NEXT GOOD STEP. In his book, The Ten-Second Rule: Following Jesus Made Simple, Clare de Graaf writes, "Just do the next thing you're reasonably certain Jesus wants you to do." This is an awesome way to live the rest of your life. Your future is not hinging on one giant step so much as thousands of little ones, strung together in the grand journey of your life. As you seek God and listen, continue just taking one good step at a time.

HAVE GRACE. Don't--I repeat, DO NOT--be afraid to make mistakes or make the wrong choice! Just don't. Do you know how many times God commanded us not to be afraid? Look it up, it's a high number. And while you're looking that up, look up what places like Pixar and Google think of mistakes. If you make a wrong turn somewhere, the sky will not come crashing down. And if you are seeking God, listening to wise counsel, and taking the next good step, it'll be harder to make life-altering mistakes anyway. Have grace for yourself, get back up, and keep moving forward.

And finally, DON'T FIGHT THE WAITING OR THE NOT KNOWING. I promise, friends, as someone who has spent the past year of her life waiting and not knowing, your faith will get stronger if you lean into God in this season. Keep asking, seeking, and knocking on Him.

He will answer.