Depression and anxiety are at an all time high.  Maybe the reason lies in the impact of social media.  Maybe it is the sapping of real personal contact with our neighbor.  Maybe it is the mind numbing negative media we consume.  Maybe it is a neuro-toxin in our, air, food, medications and/or water.  Maybe it is something else all together.  Whatever the reason people are suffering and are losing hope.  People are sinking into despair and it isn’t necessary.  As a culture we seem to think people only matter if they can meet the needs of another’s agenda. Another piece of the problem in our culture is the overwhelming message that we should look inward and satisfy ourselves no matter the cost.  This childish outlook creates a narcissistic and selfish society.  A society where depression and anxiety run rampant because alone we can not satisfy our need for love and acceptance.  The good news is that God’s agenda includes the salvation of everyone who is willing to love Him.  He can and wants to help us climb up out of our despair.  He can give us a radical hope even in the most despairing of situations.

God created us to seek Him and praise Him by serving others, not by serving ourselves.  We find true joy, peace, and meaning when we find the vocation He created us for.  For some of us it is in our married and family life that we serve Him by loving our spouse and children.  For some it is a job that we can serve Him by loving our neighbors whether they be students, patients, co-workers, or employees.  Some people struggle to find their vocation because of fear or unbelief.  I don’t think we can truly find peace and joy if we don’t search out and find what we were created for.  When I fight against this theory and try to do what I feel like doing I tend to fail, become full of anxiety, and teeter at the brink of depression.

It is never too late to seek out your vocation; the plan God has in mind for you.  This striving to find our vocation is a process that we can continue to work towards every day of our lives.  Sure we will still have moments when we feel confused and are not sure what to do next but He will guide us, if we allow Him to.  And He promises that there is always the hope of heaven when we follow Him.  No matter what we struggle with we can hold onto that hope.

How do you find the vocation God has created you for?  Pray, pray, and pray some more! Start one day at a time.  Everyday sit quietly with the Lord and ask Him to guide you.  He knows us better than we know ourselves.  So if we continue to seek His plans for us nothing can steal the peace and joy of knowing that He had a plan for each of us even as He was carefully putting us together in our mothers wombs.

(Photo from Pixabay, Bible Verse from New American Bible 1977)