God's Will for Me vs. My Heart's Desire

Everyone meet my momma, Charity Milligan! (Kayla"s Mom)

She is my best friend and I look up to her in so many ways. She is the best encourager and supporter that I know.

In this blog post, she talks about some of the struggles she had around trying to find God's will for her life. I know this blog post will bless you!

Continue to read below!

- Kayla Milligan

God's Will For Me vs. My Heart's Desire

When I was in high school I felt a lot of pressure to “figure out God’s will for my life”. Wow! I was like 16 and felt like I needed to know the one thing that God wanted me to do for the rest of my life and I better make the right decision.

Should I be a missionary or get a regular job and what kind of job? Where should I go to college? If I can’t figure out these things then how in the world will I know what guy is the right guy to marry? I wished God would just tell me, “this is the right decision”, but that wasn’t how it worked.

I had a strong desire to please God and to do whatever he’d want me to do, but my only fear was if He wanted me to be a missionary to Africa. That was my one fear LOL. One night at camp we were being asked to surrender to God’s will for our lives. The problem I had was I wanted to surrender to God, but had no idea what to surrender to.

That night I decided to surrender to whatever God wanted me to do, EVEN if that meant to go to Africa. That night I decided to stop trying to figure out God’s perfect will for me, and decided to surrender my desires to Him.

“Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart”. Ps 37:4

I remember hearing this verse again thinking is that really what it means? If I make God happy, then he will give me what I want? That can’t be right… 

Here’s what God spoke to me about this verse. 

• Charity, desire me, please me, enjoy me, glorify me, delight in me; 
• then I will give you the desires that your heart will long for, I will give you the desires that please me, I will give you the desires that will guide your steps, I will give you my desires that will become your desires, your desires will be my desires because I’m the one that gave them to you and they are what’s best for you
• As you take daily steps in the direction of your God-given desires, you will find more and more delight in the Lord

God’s will is for you to delight in Him today and live out of the desires that God has given you. If God has given you your desires, then know that he has also equipped you with whatever you need to live out those desires.

I would strongly encourage you to discover who you are! Who is ( insert your name here LOL)? 

Take out a notebook and write down as much as you can to describe yourself then take it one step further and ask why? Then why again.

Example: What do you enjoy? I enjoy plants. Why? They make me feel happy. Why? They are pretty and I feel good that I can keep them alive. Why? They make my home feel beautiful, homie, and healthy for my family. Why? They remind us of God’s awesomeness, beauty, and provision for us.

• What do you enjoy?
• What are you afraid of?
• What are you passionate about?
• What experiences have opened your eyes to new desires or interests?
• How are you gifted?
• What are your strengths?
• What are you good at?

Take an assessment about yourself

• What’s your Enneagram? https://assessment.yourenneagramcoach.com/ 
• What’s your Strengths Finders? https://store.gallup.com/p/en-us/10108/top-5-cliftonstrengths 
• Ask 5 people that know you best to give you 3-5 words that best describe you. What 3 words were repeated most?

__________________

My niece had a cancerous brain tumor removed when she was 7 years old - This experience gave my sister and her family a passion for childhood cancer to bless those families. They are in the process of opening a farm through their foundation to have a place of escape and enjoyment for families of childhood cancer.

The Believe Foundation, Carolina Parson

My husband was a high school teacher, but didn’t enjoy being trapped in a location. He has a gift of learning and the passion of teaching. Today he runs an online business that teaches and coaches online entrepreneurs. His experience, gifts, and desires provide income for our family while impacting people around the world.

Your Message Matters by Jonathan Milligan

My cousin who grew up as a pastor’s kid had a hard time after high school. He honestly turned his back on the morals that he was taught and was living a life outside of Christ and not representing Christ. But then things changed when he began to delight in God again, God changed his heart’s desires. Now my cousin may not look like what some think Christ would look like, but let me tell you he sure acts more like Christ than most Christians I know. Not only did God give him new desires for Christ but also a passion for those living that same life away from Christ. He and his wife have used his passion for cooking, his talent for building, and their love of people that need Christ in such a way that they have transformed their backyard into the coolest hangout, and anyone and everyone is welcomed and loved. 

Hair and Body Mechanix, Lenny & Stephanie Stewart

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You don’t have to have all the answers, just keep delighting and seeking God’s direction.

• It’s ok if you don’t end up working in the field that your college degree is in
• It’s ok if you switch jobs
• It’s ok if something falls through
• It’s ok if it’s not happening as fast as you want
• It’s ok if it’s not perfect
• It’s ok if your desires change
• It’s ok if your desire, dream seems impossible
• It’s ok if you don’t have all the answers

This life is a journey. Bloom where you’re planted. Learn from every experience.

Once you discover how God has equipped you and your God-given desires, ask God to open doors, to guide your steps, to give peace, to give you courage, to bring the right people across your path. This is God’s thing, the pressure isn’t on you to make it all happen. Work hard, continue to delight in Him, ask for wisdom, and follow your desires! Ten years from now or even 5, you can look back and be in awe of what God has done through you! Delight in Him!

- Charity (Kayla’s mom)