The Problem That's Plaguing Our World

Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve always wanted to be a grown up. I think every little girl dreams of one day being a princess or a fashion designer. I told my mom that I would be “the best adult ever.” I guess my drive to succeed goes back a lot earlier than I thought it did lol. When I was little, the future seemed so fun and exciting.

In a way, this concept can be really good. Excitement for the future drives us towards our goals and gives us a reason to get up every morning. However, the glorification of the future can become a problem when it leaves us feeling discontent with where we are and anxious about the future.

I have seen this to be very true as I have stepped into a new and exciting season of my life: college. During my high school days, one of the biggest things I looked forward to was graduation. I remember being a scared freshman-- overwhelmed and discouraged with how long it would take me to get my high school diploma. High school was such a busy time for me. From football games, to cheerleading practice, to FFA events, to Student Council activities, it felt like I could never catch a break.

“Once I get to college”, I thought, “things will be so much easier. I won’t have to compete for class rank, I won’t have to worry about scholarships, and I won’t have to worry about winning FFA contests anymore. Life will be a breeze!!”

Although life is a lot less stressful in the ways it used to be, each season brings on new challenges. Homesickness, anxiety, fear, people pleasing, and perfectionism are real!

Although it may not have felt like it in the moment, I look back on my high school days with awe and amazement. It was there that I truly got to know the Lord’s faithfulness. It was there that I saw Him come through for me on every assignment and test. It was there that He met me in all my worries and allowed high school to end in the sweetest way possible.

Notice a pattern here? Now that I am on the other side of this season of my life, I see it through rose-colored glasses. However, when I was going through it, all I wanted to do was get out of it!

I know I am not alone in this. Discontentment plagues so many people in our society. Whether it's in relationships, parenting, jobs, or school, we want what we don’t have.

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So how do we overcome this? Well, I don’t think we will ever reach perfection here on this earth, but God gave us several tools to be able to see Him here in the land of the living. Here are a few verses that I try to turn to when I begin feeling discontent with where I am.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-11

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace. What do workers gain from their toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

Moral of the story: Be where your feet are. Don’t try to repeat seasons. Let each day be what it is. God is in control.

Life is hard, and there’s no magical words I can say to fix the big problems and heartaches you might be facing here on this Earth. However, our God can! I hope this is a post provided you with a little encouragement to help you get through the day. Consider this a cup of coffee for your soul.

Thanks for reading,

Breanna Chavez <3