I found myself reminiscing about my 20s in my last blog so this time, I thought I’d finish off my list of things I would tell my younger self. This is not meant to be an exhaustive list, more like practical things I’ve learned in the last decade that could have saved me time, energy and heartache if I would have put them into practice a little earlier in my 20s.
6. Think carefully about how you’re spending your time. Making good choices should lead to confidence. If it doesn’t, work on your confidence by asking God to give you a steadfastness and contentment in your decisions and lifestyle. If you see a history of making bad choices, think carefully about why that is, correct the mistakes, and then confidently pursue your new, better choices.
7. Try something new — push yourself out of your comfort zone. For introverts, that could mean attending a small group or social gathering on your own. For extroverts, that could mean spending a day by yourself — taking a drive in the mountains, going for a walk, reading a good book. If there’s a hobby or sport you’ve always been interested in, try it out. If you get invited to try a sport or activity you’ve never been interested in, try it anyway. Sometimes the best friendships (or hobbies) are born this way.
8. Don’t victimize yourself. So much of the time we can spend thinking about past hurts and feeling like we are a product of our past. If there are things in your past you need to deal with, do it. But don’t spend your life looking wistfully at your past. Follow Paul’s advice and do this one thing: Forgetting what is behind, press on to win the prize for which God has called you heavenward in Christ Jesus.
9. Focus on preparing yourself to be a good spouse. It’s easy, especially for women, to get caught up on the kind of wedding we want. It’s much harder to evaluate the sin in our lives and work on sanctifying those areas so that we can be a good spouse one day. One is eternal. The other is going to be 12 of the most hurried hours of your life. Spend your time focusing on what matters.
10. Enjoy your 20s. Don’t waste a decade of your life pining away for your future career, spouse or family when you could be appreciating where God has you at the moment. My pastor always said, “There is no ideal place to serve God accept where He puts you.”
I’ve had to remind myself of this many times in the last decade as I’ve had moments (or days or weeks) of feeling discontent with where God has me. The reality will always be that God has a divine purpose for where you find yourself in this very moment. Seek His will, and godly contentment and your 20s may be one of the most joy-filled and fun decades of your life.
