Another guest blog from Dave Peacock
I remember when I finished University, I felt a great sense of relief. I’d finally completed my formal education and was free from the system. For the majority of my life, my schedule had revolved around studying, writing essays and preparing for exams. I was finally free. However, this sense of freedom was short-lived as the dreaded question was put to me….what happens next? I suddenly realised that this system I’d been desperate to leave behind me had actually given me a huge amount of comfort. Having that comfort taken left me feeling completely lost.
Looking back on my initial post-university days, the lack of clarity I had over my future filled me with fear. Trying to decide what to do with the rest of my life was incredibly overwhelming. Having options in front of you is a wonderful position to be in, but it can also be paralysing as well. What if I choose the wrong thing and end up going down a path that God didn’t intend for me to go down?
Being in situations where the future is unclear and the predictability of life is absent forces us to lean on God. This is an uncomfortable place to be, but we should take comfort in knowing that God will guide each of us through the circumstances we face, regardless of how opaque the future may seem.
Whenever I’m unsure of what lies ahead, I’m reminded of Psalm 119 v.5 which states, ‘Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path’. When we face unfamiliar territory or have difficult decisions to make, we have His word to guide us through; to help us choose the right path and ease our anxieties about the future we face. It enables us to make decisions with confidence that we have chosen the path that God wants us to be on.
Being forced into a position where I had to lean on God and His word after University led to one of the best years of my life. I ended up spending 6 months working at Holy Trinity with the youth team and, following this, I spent 6 months with Youth With A Mission on their Discipleship Training Scheme. This involved 3 months of teaching in Denver, Colorado, followed by 3 months of outreach in Colombia. The experiences I had during that year following University had a dramatic impact on the rest of my life. It was a truly life-changing year. I’m certain that this year would have looked very different had I tried to navigate this period of my life in my own strength and understanding.
We will all have moments where we feel lost or the future seems so unpredictable, especially given the current global circumstances. However, by anchoring ourselves in the Word of God and allowing His Word to light the path ahead, we can step forward with confidence.