Article

What You Need to Realize If You Feel Stuck in Life

Ever wonder, “Why am I here?” Maybe here is a certain job, location or even a church. I think we’ve all been there. No doubt, it’s challenging to withstand something you’re not passionate about or be surrounded by people you just can’t seem to click with. Certainly, being stuck where you’d rather not be is a real attitude and faith tester. Going through plenty of my own moments like these, I’ve learned a lesson that just might help you see a silver lining in any waiting season.

Blessed Beginnings

Beginning with my first job at 16 years old, I was very blessed. My passion and experience in those days was in Internet programming, and I landed a part-time position at a local organization that paid me well for my age. A couple years later, I left for a far-away university to study more about the computer industry. I believed I’d go there to earn my degree and then instantly pick up at the level I left off. But I didn’t.

After graduation, I spent months submitting applications only to be met with curious and frustrating silence. ‘Has God placed me on a shelf?’ I wondered.

A Step Back

Eventually, some friends who managed a local Christian bookstore heard my plight and offered me a position there. But it didn’t make sense. At the risk of sounding spoiled, the pay was lower than I ever made, the job had nothing to do with what I studied, and it included hours of standing, which I wasn’t accustomed to. “This is a step back!” I complained to God. But my reserves were running thin, and I needed something. So, taking a punch to my pride, I accepted the job, and spent the next nine months at a place where I wondered, ‘Why am I here?’

Purpose Revealed

Much has happened since those early years. I went on to other jobs—some of them that I really enjoyed, and others that I didn’t enjoy so much. But years later, as my life redirected into ministry, and the opportunity came to write my first book, I began to draw, not from my experience as a programmer, but from those nine months at that local Christian bookstore.

For years, I never understood what the purpose of my short time was there, but suddenly, it all made sense. And through it, I profoundly understood what’s become one of my favorite scriptures: “The Lord directs the steps of the godly” (Ps. 37:23, NLT).

God Orders Your Steps

Your path won’t always seem like it’s moving forward. Sometimes you’ll experience what feel like sidesteps and setbacks. But be encouraged: one day you’ll look back on those jobs you hated and the places you didn’t want to go, and you’ll marvel at their purpose in your plan. Trust me, God knows what He’s doing when He orders your steps.