For as long as I can remember, I’ve struggled with social anxiety and depression. Two things that are constantly making your mind think of the worst possible situations and/or ideas. The continuous flow of ‘what if’ questions that I had before every decision consumed me and definitely influenced my actions. The thoughts  controlled what I thought I was capable of doing and what I so strongly believed that I couldn’t do. I simply wanted to make sure that I was ready for said decision or situation. I wanted to be ready for whatever was to come my way so that I would not fail. Would I ever be ready though?

A few years ago, I started reading Draw the Circle: The 40 Day Prayer Challenge and I began to fast. When I got to Day 20, the devotional for that day was called, “Go. Set. Ready.” I was instantly interested for what Mark Batterson had to say. It started off with the verse:  

“He [Abraham] did not know where he was going.”

                  -Hebrews 11:8

As I continued to read, God began to speak to me. He allowed me to see why I would never be ready before anything. In fact, once you step forward in faith, God moves and prepares you for what is to come. He calls you to have faith in Him and THEN He will qualify you. He changed my perspective and He challenged me to gain some experience.

Faith is defined as “complete trust or confidence in someone or something”.  What Google doesn’t mention about faith is how useless it is when no action is involved. As Christians, we must have faith in our God in every area of life and we must trust Him to prepare us for our future.

Our experiences change us and help us grow. Not only do they impact our way of thinking, but how we act, how we see things… everything. Experiencing any type of change will bring on a new experience that you have never been through before. Those just might be the experiences that could change your life. When you take that step of faith, God will prepare you for what you’ve stepped into. Then once you are there, you go and take the next step of faith into new territory.

In Proverbs 3:5-6 it says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;  in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

Slowly, when I began to trust in Him through all my situations and struggles;  God met me where I was at and removed those depressing and anxious thoughts. Knowing that God is always going to be where I am is so comforting because there is not a single moment where you are alone and unprepared. God’s timing is perfect. Trust in His timing. Trust in where He has you now. The best is yet to come.

Andreliz Torres