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Article: 4 Signs You Might Be Running Ahead Of God

4 Signs You Might Be Running Ahead Of God

Are You Running Ahead of God?

 

Our Creator sees all things in His grand plan, and I see things... only in part. How do we know we are running ahead of God? Let’s do a simple comparison between my plans and God’s.

 

Time:

Promise’s plan

God’s (better) plan:

By the age of 13

Do well for PSLE to enrol into a good secondary school. 

Went to a neighbourhood school and was part of the pioneering batch. 

By the age of 16

Do well in school and enter a good Polytechnic to do a psychology course.

Went to a student care centre to better my studies (and hopefully character). Then got invited to Church Youth Camp, heard about Jesus for the first time and got saved.

By the age of 21

Results were not good enough for any psychology course.

Graduated from Polytechnic (in Media). Go into the advertising industry, work myself up the corporate ladder, and have a million dollar view office. Also, start uni. No dating. Enough of bad boys.

Started uni part-time, met my (now) husband.

Went to a new church. God called me to quit my advertising job and move into the social services sector.

By the age of 25

Finish uni, continue working my way up the corporate ladder, and have an office with a million-dollar view. After three years, start teaching part-time at Republic Poly to share knowledge and earn more moolah.

Got married. Pioneered a non-profit work with an amazing woman of God.


Grew with the organisation and team for close to 6 years.

By the age of 30

Financially stable. Settled down. Travel 2-3 times a year. Able to shop without worrying about the next pay cheque.

Travelled to the USA twice and Melbourne once, paid for by God.

Called to leave the social services sector, and started 4 businesses. Living pretty much by faith. Learned first hand that God is truly my Provider.


No prizes for guessing who had been a better Planner. Obviously… it was God.

I’ve always been very driven, and my belief was that we have ‘no time to waste’ here on earth. Everything needs to be well-planned and executed according to my timeline. Let’s go, fast, chop chop, quick.

 When things often don't go as planned, I’ve found myself questioning if God loves me.

 

‘If He loves me, wouldn’t He want me to be happy?’
‘That’s such a great plan, why isn’t God going to bless me?’

‘Isn’t that a great purpose/plan?’


What silly questions, but they hold so much weight for me then because even though I knew God makes all things beautiful in His time (Ecc 3), I never quite accepted or internalised that truth.


“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.
As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. - Isaiah 55:8-9


I had an ideal life plan, but God has always had the perfect life plan for me.

I’ve since learned that God is never in a hurry.
God is never late. God is composed. God is always right.

Nothing surprises or disappoints Him because He already knows the beginning, the in-betweens, and the end.


He knows our plans are not always good for us. He knows that we can be really stubborn, and He knows that we can place our identities in our works instead of Him. He knows how to save us from ourselves.

 

It’s not how fast we get things done or make magic happen, but how much we grow in Christ-likeness throughout the process.

 

This has been a long journey. I’m still learning to wait on the Lord, to grow in patience, and be ready for when His perfect plan starts to unfold. But here are 4 signs (from my own experience) to watch out for as you navigate through your own journey of learning to run at God’s pace.

Here are 4 signs you might be running ahead of God:

 

  • You feel stuck in every area.
  1. Your life feels much like a writer’s block. You stare at the blank walls and have no idea what to write. Your mind is blank, yet your heart is in a hurried state to meet deadlines and churn things out.

  2. There’s no inspiration half the time, you’re not enjoying the moment, and the only end-goal and desire is to ‘get the job done’ and move to the next task.

  3. You feel like gears that have not been well-lubricated, and are struggling to get going.


  • You haven’t stopped to think about whether you have peace.
  1. Who has the time? You barge from door to door hoping to gain more ground (more profits, more market share, more leads, more likes).

  2. You get irritated and flustered easily. You have no patience to wait for things or process your emotions.


  • There’s no time for sleep.
  1. Sleep is for the weak. ‘I’ll sleep when I’m dead!’ (That’s a lie, by the way.)

  • Constant worrying.
  1. Your mind never gets a break. You feel the need to keep thinking of new ideas; to churn out new things, because you worry you’re not enough.

  2. Yet when you get what you’ve desired, you are worried that you might lose it. You fight hard to remain at the top of your game.


Let us know in the comments how you’re conquering the monster of societal expectations and norms, worry, and anxiety!



3 comments

This really blessed me. There’s a lot I could say but I’ve been spinning in anxiety, worry, stress, and fear as I begin to mark on a new journey of launching a business / ministry I firmly believe God has called me to. I had a fire and excitement at first but lately have had dread and catch myself avoiding this at all costs, yet feel the need and urgency to work-work-work. It’s a very stuck and miserable feeling. I know God has called me to what I’m doing, but I could not discern if I was running ahead or lagging in fear (because I’m definitely scared, but trying my best to trust God). I’ve prayed and still haven’t received full clarity. Desperately, I looked up on Google “not sure if I’m running ahead of God or lagging” and found this article. I wrote down much of what you stated so I can look back when I start to feel stressed. I underlined what stuck out to me and finally feel like I’m gaining clarity. I prayed and had faith God would give me clarity and PEACE today with all of this. It’s all beginning to click for me by the grace of God. I got teary eyed reading this because you stated things that explained what I was experiencing and I discovered it was all by-products of rushing ahead. I had tears of relief because I finally had answers. I think God is teaching me patience and a new level of trust and GRACE. So praise God for speaking through you and bringing me to this blog. I feel like a weight is lifting I was never meant to carry. His yoke really is easy and light 🥺❤️ God bless you!!!

Mallory Newberry

hey Valerie! <3

Thank you for reading and sharing! hugs It’s def a journey – keep walking and keep leaning into His love. Things will get better, it always does. Take some time this week to rest and have me-time! (:

promise

Thank you for sharing your journey!
I feel like I am still recovering from anxiety and worries, I feel like there is something I am not doing even though in my head I know the Lord has already planned out my life for me.
I wish I was more confident and affirmed in the Lord’s plans for me >_<

Valerie

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