Have you ever been involved in something that consumed your life for weeks or months or maybe even years? I remember every basketball season, I would be consumed by practice, film, stats, and games. Everything I did or thought of revolved around basketball and then it never failed that sometime in late February or early March there would be that last tournament game where my team would lose and it would suddenly be over. It never failed that the moment the final buzzer rang, a thought would race to my mind – what is next? Maybe for you it was a musical, a play, an athletic team, a really long school/work project or maybe it was graduation. There is that moment, even if you see it coming, where what you have invested in comes to an end. And how you answer the question, “What’s next?” determines how you will live your life out. The enemy uses the, “What’s next” to trap and stop people from living out the life that God has called them to live. So what do you do in the, “What’s next?” Do you do what you want to do because you need some “me” time? Do you do nothing but binge watch Netflix? Do you get grumpy and depressed because it feels like you don’t have a purpose? Do you stop and wait for the next opportunity? Do you rush in to find the next thing? As we enter Easter week, remember what the disciples did in the, “What’s next” phase after Jesus was crucified – they went back to what they had been doing before. That wasn’t the best step for them because they weren’t living out what they had learned.
Keys for the “What’s Next” time of life.
- Don’t go back to who you were – graduates don’t go back to acting like a freshman – you are not the same person, so don’t go back and live like your old self. Unless you were in an unhealthy season, don’t go backwards to who you were. I realize going forward into the unknown is riskier than going forward, but you were made to move forward not to retreat.
- Celebrate what you have learned – Remember what you have learned in the past season about life, about the world, about God, and most importantly about yourself. Make lists of what you have learned in the past season and celebrate the wins and successes.
- Boldly live like your future has more potential than your past – whenever you hit a “What’s Next” stage in your life you want to boldly live with the truth that your future has more potential than your past. Do not believe the lies that you are too old, have made too many mistakes, or are not talented enough to live out an influential and impacting life. Boldly get moving and see what God can do in and through your life in the future.
The VG family is in a “What’s Next” time and we would love your prayers for us as we are seeking God’s direction on the next step for us in ministry and in life. We have spent the last couple months beginning to heal, working through identifying who we are, celebrating our past and pursuing Jesus. We are now actively investigating opportunities for what and where Jesus is calling us next so that we can boldly step into the thriving future He has planned for us. If you are willing to, we ask that you pray for us and if God puts on your heart an opportunity that might fit us, please feel free to pass it on.
We feel called to investing, leading, and empowering the next generation to experience Jesus, make a decision for Him, and being trained and unleashed into the plans that He has made for them before the beginning of time. We believe that God has gifted us to be people who relationally influence people for Christ. We are looking for a local church that is a community of believers that encourages and supports each other while reaching and living outside of the walls of the church to reach the people who are lost or disconnected from a thriving relationship with Jesus. We are looking for a local church that prioritizes and celebrates evangelism while it has the discipline and integrity to invest in a discipleship plan. We believe that God has the best days planned out for all of us. We are anticipating what God can do in and through us as we continue to humbly follow and pursue Him.
Thank you for the prayers – we value and treasure them as we live in the, “What’s Next” phase of our lives.