By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.” Hebrews 11:8

God Can Use You No Matter Where You Go” -High School Boy

The first big decision I remember making was which college to go to. This decision felt gigantic to me because it would impact and determine the next chapter of my life. It would determine the friends I would make, what church I would end up at for my DCE internship, where I would get my first job. To me, it felt like the entire trajectory of my life hinged on this one decision. But no pressure, right?

When I was in this decision-making season, this one very important fact somehow never dawned on me: God was going to use me wherever I ended up. So, allow me to speak these words over you right now:

God can and will use you no matter where you go.

This phrase doesn’t only apply to seniors in High School either. There are decisions over the course of your life that can seem daunting. Could be deciding what sport to play in High School (or maybe stepping away from a sport that you love), what instrument to play (believe me, I would be an entirely different person if I didn’t pick up the drums when I was 11), what type of job to get. All these decisions have the potential to feel very big depending on what season of life you’re in. And that is totally ok. We all handle and process things differently. During these seasons it is important to rest in this truth:

God can and will use you no matter where you go.

There are many accounts in Scripture where the people of the Bible had to trust that God was going to use them no matter what. But one of the first accounts we see of this happening takes place in the book of Genesis. Abram (whose name would later be changed to Abraham) was called by God to leave everything he had known and travel into the unknown to the promised land God had prepared for him. Abram packs up his stuff and he sets off with his wife Sarai (who would later be called Sarah) and his nephew Lot to see what God had in store for him.

Abram had no idea how God was going to use him or what he was about to go through, but he trusted that God had a plan and that God was going to use him no matter what.

Decisions have the potential to feel overwhelming. In any given situation, it’s so hard to know exactly what to do, where to go, etc. But in the midst of decisions, it’s important to check-in with yourself. Give yourself the permission to step back, take a breather, and tell yourself, ‘God can and will use me no matter where I go’. In your Baptism, God gave you faith and made you a part of His family. God gave you the Holy Spirit to use you as His hands and feet everywhere your life takes you.

At the end of the day, you have a God walking with you reminding you over and over again that you’re saved by faith, forgiven, and loved. Through the Holy Spirit, God can use you no matter what you do or where you go.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, there are lots of big decisions in front of me right now. I am not always sure which one is best. Give me wisdom, faithful Christian friends and family to support me, but most importantly, remind me that I am yours in Baptism. Use me as your hands and feet wherever I go, In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Questions to journal/reflect upon

  1. Make a list of all the decisions you have coming up. Do any of these feel bigger than others?
  2. Who can you talk to about the decisions you’re facing?
  3. Read Genesis 12: 1-9. What sticks out to you from these verses?
  4. It’s easy to get distracted when we pray. Spend time today journaling your prayers, asking God to be in the decisions, and simply listening to what God may have in store for you.