By Joseph Perry

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations” Jeremiah 1:5

Do you believe that your life has meaning?

Oftentimes, we have thoughts arise about when everything is going to fall in place for us.

Sometimes, we are anxious for life to open for us in a positive way. There are moments when we want things to appear for us all of a sudden, all in an instance. We want it to happen right now. When this way of thinking comes, we are failing to trust the process.

The process is so important when we are going through life. There is always a molding and a shaping. Things in life must take place before other things can happen. Sometimes we think we are already there or we should receive certain things before it is time.

I’m not addressing a subject that I’m not familiar with, because there have been times when I’ve wanted certain areas of my life, or my ministry, to hurry along, when actually The Lord was telling me it’s not time yet.

He knows when it’s time for things to come forth. I mean, how do you feel when your parent tells you to wait? Sometimes, you thought they didn’t know what they were doing, but God knows exactly what he’s doing in every season of our lives.

Jeremiah tells the people that God already knows us, and He knows everything about us. We’re not an accident or a mistake made by God. No, He knows our beginning and our ending. Before we were formed, God knew what we would be; He knew the people and the things that would be a part of our lives.

God has a purpose for you that can bless everyone around you if you just trust the process. Again, you are not here by accident.

You can know:

4Your life is ordained by God. Because it is ordained by God, your life has worth. Your life has meaning, and you can’t listen to negative people. You don’t need to worry about the current situation, because what God has for you is for you.

4Your life should be filled with a confidence. Why? Because God made you for a reason. He allowed you to exist on this planet for a reason.

So walk and talk with a confidence. I want you to hold and keep your head up. It doesn’t matter how old you are, or where you are now; know that you can still trust the process. As the hymn writer shares with us, “our times are in his hand.” It’s not in anybody’s hand but God. Our life, our all is in His hand, and we need to give it entirely to Him.

The Rev. Dr. Joseph A. Perry is pastor of St. Mark AME Zion Church. Email him at josephp134@gmail.com.