If you’re still here, there’s still hope. God does not give up. And by His power and through His strength, we can continue pressing onward. Disappointments happen. Discouraging things happen. There are days I’m so unmotivated it’s hard to get out of bed. Sometimes I feel like I have no direction or purpose. Those feelings remind me I need to focus on God. He will lead me in the right direction – the direction He wants me to go. I get exhausted most when I try to do “it” – run a successful business, have healthy relationships, even participate in things I enjoy – in my own strength. God wants us to lean on and rely on Him for everything. If you’re still here, God’s not done with you. Even when you think or feel like it is the end, God has a plan. The question is, are you following it? And if you’re not, are you willing to?
God’s Not Discouraged by Disappointments
Disappointments happen, whether a dating relationship doesn’t work out, a business venture loses you money, or your life in general just isn’t working out the way you hoped, thought, or planned. And even though you might be, God is not discouraged by disappointments because God’s plans never fail.
God’s plans cannot fail. It says so in the Bible. If you are actively following God, He directs your steps. So whatever happens, it’s in His will. Earthly disappointments do not mean heavenly plans have failed. They just mean God has something else in mind.
We plan, but God directs our steps. He doesn’t always follow our plan because He knows best. What we think is a great idea may have a terrible ending. To keep us safe, to keep us in His will, God leads us down the best path, even if we don’t see it in the moment. Even if it’s not the path we wanted.
So, when disappointment happens – when a plan fails – it doesn’t mean God is done with you. In fact, it might mean just the opposite. God is actively involved in your life, ensuring you go down the right path. He cares about you, and God’s not done with you yet. He is not discouraged by disappointments because disappointments only happen when plans fail, and God’s plans can never fail.
God’s Not Done but He Does Want Your Participation
God’s not done with you. God’s plans can never fail. However, when we try to go through life in our own strength, outside of God’s will, there is not much He will do. We have free will, which means we can do what we want and try to make it on our own. It also means we don’t have to do anything. In both situations, it will feel like God has forgotten about you, but that’s not the truth. God longs for your active participation in life and in relationship with Him.
When We Try to Do It on Our Own
When you try to do things your own way instead of God’s way, you aren’t following Him. In a way, it’s like you’re telling God you don’t need Him and can do it on your own. With this heart posture, failed plans come because you aren’t walking in God’s will.
The good news is God is always willing to take top priority in your life as soon as you invite Him to do so. Even if you’ve wandered on your own for months, years, or decades, at any point, you can cry out to God, and He will take over. That’s mercy and grace, both of which are a gift we don’t deserve but God freely gives.
When We Don’t Do Anything at All
Proverbs 16:9 says we establish our plans, and God determines our steps. However, this doesn’t mean you can just sit back and relax while God does all the heavy lifting for you. For God to direct you, you need to be walking.
A business idea won’t come to life until you actively start working on it. Mr. or Mrs. Right isn’t going to come knocking on your door out of nowhere. Nothing is going to change if you don’t start making some changes. God desires our active participation in our relationship with Him and in the life He has given us.
You might feel like God’s done with you and that He’s no longer working in your life because nothing is happening. If you feel that way, I encourage you to pray and ask God what tangible steps you can take to walk in His will for your life. You might get a clear direction.
But you might not. In that case, with wisdom and discernment, I encourage you to just start moving. Do what you believe is right based on prayer, reading your Bible, and consulting wise Christ-followers. Start there. Start moving. God will start directing your steps. What you thought was right might be wrong, and disappointments might come. But if you’re moving with God, He will lead you in the right direction.
Get Excited: God’s Not Done with You Yet
Dreaming is easy. It is easy to have big ideas and hopes for your relationships, your business, and your life. It’s actively pursuing them that’s the hard, challenging, sometimes terrifying thing. But God’s not done with you. That’s the exciting part. So no matter how hard, challenging, and terrifying it is, God is with you, so long as you’re walking with Him. The question is, are you? And if you’re not, are you willing to?