I am Unashamed About What I Love

Y’all. I love this series. I could seriously write about each message from Wonderlife. Really. It is that good. 

Wonderlife is simply good for the soul. It’s a weekly reminder that God is our number one cheerleader. I wrote on the blog last week about how you need to start getting excited about YOU and what God has in store for your life. Out of all the Wonderlife messages, I think that this one was my favorite – especially since it goes with the whole YOU ARE AWESOME theme. 

Image from Cross Point Church

There are two questions that get asked at the start of each Wonderlife series.  Number one: Who am I? Number Two: Why am I here? Really, this is exactly what the Wonderlife workbook is all about. I know because it says it on the front cover “a not-so-perfect guide to who you are and why you’re here”.

This particular message is focused more on the “why am I here” and how we are all equipped with a passion that God has put on our hearts. The struggle is that some of us tend to feel shame over what it is we want to do because of the critics in our world. We allow those critics to shape us instead of allowing God to mold us into the person He wants us to become. 

Image from Cross Point Church

In the workbook, there is a quote from Jon Acuff that I have just fallen in love with it. He warns us to “stop giving haters speaking roles in the movie of our life. They are just extras.” Because of those haters, we start doing the things we feel like we are supposed to do instead of doing what WE—what YOU—want to do. 

"Whatever your hand finds you to do, do it with all your might.” – Ecclesiastes 9:10

So now you know that you should never feel ashamed about what you are passionate about. God has placed that passion on your heart for a reason. But, what next? What if your dream isn’t God’s will?

This part really got me.

For some of us we think that God’s will should be revealed to us in fancy bright lights, as if one day you will be walking down the street and suddenly the movie theater sign will read “[Insert your name here], your will is to be…” and then we will have it all figured out. But that’s not how God’s will works.

In 1 Thessalonians Chapter 5, it says, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 

Image from Val Marie Paper

The message goes on to talk about how we allow the “fear” of making a wrong choice paralyze us from doing what we love.

The past year, I have felt that way about my dream. There are days where the thought that I might not have all the puzzle pieces in the correct spot at the perfect time would literally send me into a fit of tears. It is almost as if I put a deadline on my dream – like if I didn’t have the next steps figured out by summer, then I would have to wait another year for it to come true. So, when Pete said to us, “You don’t have to think for a moment that God burdens us down with the task of trying to figure out the direction of your life ahead of time[,]” the weight of that so called deadline just lifted in a way.

Your dreams don’t have deadlines. There are no wrong decisions. Everything you are doing right now is part of God’s plan for you. In every event that has happened, or will happen, or you hope to happen – God will have a hand in all of it. So, as you go out to chase YOUR passion, remember that it is on your heart for a reason. And God is cheering you on the entire way.