First Priority.

My plans, are not final.

My life's dreams, are not permanent.

My future, I have not set in stone.

If I'm being honest... I have NO idea what I'm doing with my life. 

I don't know.

A little background.... 

At the beginning of this summer, I bravely decided that I would surrender my everything to God; my plans, my desires, my dreams, my future, all of me, for His sake. 

I didn't realize exactly what that would entail... But regardless, I don't regret it for a single second. 

With that said: 

I've been wondering lately, according to the world's standards, what does it mean to really live? 

The typical person would strive to graduate high school, go straight to college, and upon graduation begin a steady career. The American Dream, then, is to get married, start a family, work one's way up to a higher and better paying position within their career. The idea is to get a well paying job, buy a larger, upscale house, drive nice vehicles, and work hard to live the best among others within the community. 

Just a quick glance at our society today, and that's something that's extremely clear to me... That success, social standing, money, and our own desires have engulfed our focus as a nation.

On the flip side of that though, as Christians, what does it mean for us to really live?

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:2

It's important for us to understand, that the world may have their own ideas about how each person should live, but we aren't to be like the world. 

We are not of this world. 

We're created for a greater purpose other than glorifying ourselves within the short time we have on Earth.

We were not placed on this Earth to satisfy our own desires. 

We're called to live a life completely dedicated to increasing the Kingdom (Matthew 28:19) and to continually seek after the God who in all His righteousness, set us apart from the world to be the representation on Earth of Himself (Matthew 6:33). We were created with a purpose; to be the hands, and the feet of Christ, in the directions in which God has called us (Ephesians 2:10).

Our goal on Earth shouldn't be to obtain as much wealth and security as we can (Hebrews 13:5). Our lives shouldn't become competitions among others to see who followed through with the plan to accomplish the American Dream. We so desperately need to turn our focus from earthly standards, solely to God's standards. Wealth and success mean nothing in the light of eternity. 

Really, they don't. 

I would want to see God's face as someone stands before Him and explains how their life on Earth was successful because of their monetary or materialistic accomplishments. If it sounds ridiculous, that's because it is. What we get done on Earth for ourselves ultimately means nothing, considering the fact that we're commanded to reach people in all nations, and to be willing to give up our everything to follow Him. 

Following Christ to the ends of the Earth and with everything we have and everything we are? 

THAT is success. THAT is what I think a truly prosperous life looks like (Joshua 1:8).

And I'm not at all saying that going to college, getting a steady job, or having a nice house are bad things. Because they definitely aren't. I'll be going to go to school eventually, I'll have a steady career (I hope). And I also hope to get married one day and have a house of my own to start a family in. But I don't want my focus to be drifted by my human desire to want the 'stuff' of life. I want my life to be constantly seeking after Him that everything else becomes second rate. 

So, like I said before... I have NO idea what I'm doing in my future. I mean, I know what I'd like to happen in the future, but clearly I keep deciding what I want, and God changes it all up. SO, I want to daily surrender my everything to follow Christ wherever he leads, regardless of the cost, regardless of the risks, and as I put aside the earthly want of the typical American Dream. 

I want to live my life in such a way that people will see the light of Christ in my life, wherever I am and in whatever I'm doing, and that they will begin to earnestly seek Him with all that they have in turn (Matthew 5:16).