The phrase God’s plan for our life comes up repeatedly in Christian circles, seemingly because there exists a book that has very specific plans for our time on earth. When one deviates, we must get back to the plan, when one in following the plan, one is fulfilled. It sounds easy, just follow the yellow brick road ( for younger people this is a reference to Dorithy and the Wizard of Oz movie).
I do not necessarily agree with that thought process. Unless God’s plan is very wide, like ‘make it to Heaven’, it seems that our world, the people in it, and free will would make specific plans impossible. I also think that sometimes God can change His mind, an idea that will immediately cause a stir. So let’s discuss my crazy ideas.
Does God change His mind? Jonah complained when God changed His mind. Moses asked God if he would change His mind about Sodom and Gomorrah and He said yes. Jesus asked God to change His mind in the Garden of Gethsemane indicating that it is a possibility. Plus there is a parable about a woman repeatedly knocking on a door until she gets her neighbor to change his mind, a parable that many believe urges us to pray for God to change His mind.
Forgiveness is really God changing His mind. We commit sin, it offends God and affects our relationship with Him, we repent and He changes His mind and restores our relationship. If we don’t repent, His mind never changes unless there is Mercy. Mercy is God changing His mind.
I have run several businesses and at the same time raised children. In both of those endeavors, I had plans. But my plans depended on the individuals associated with my plans, acting in a certain way. It also depended on other people, not associated directly with ny plan, to behave in certain ways. I needed people to buy my goods and services, my employees to work and never leave my employ, i needed my children to be healthy and never get sick or catch something from a friend. I needed my children to have a specific personality and to be aligned with my plan. Truthfully, in all my years those plans I had were crushed every day. There was no way of building randomness into a plan.
God has to do it for everyone. Which means that every time one of us deviates from the plan, ot throws the other plans off. God gives abundance to certain people, His plan is for them to employ people and to be generous. In turn those people who are helped will be able to live comfortably and in security. Instead the individual puts the money in a bank and buys a yacht, sails away and ignores God’s plan. God has to now create another plan for all those people. That just a small example, look around you, decisions and action always affect people, and those effects ripple outward. Where they run into the ripples of other actions.
I believe God’s plan is that we imitate Him. That we strive to make decisions the way He does. I think He prompts us inwardly in all situations, so somewhere deep down we know what we are supposed to do. I think that sometime we ignore those prompts completely, other times we do a partial, and sometimes we follow. The partial is probably the hardest for God to manage.If a person needs $100 and you give them $50…does it solve the problem? Or if you task your children with taking out the garbage, and thet get most of the garbage, is the job a complete failure or a partial success?
Miracles are God’s way of pushing in a new direction. When someone is miraculously cured of cancer, the effects of that miracle can be felt far and wide. As the story is retold, people will find Hope and rediscover prayer. Likewise the person involved is now granted more time on earth, which presumably will be spent in a good way and not in the creation of evil.
God’s plan is that we make it to Heaven. His daily plan is that we imitate Him. Each decision we make, each action we take, in a perfect world, is going to be taken or performed based on how well we listen to, understand and are willing to trust God. My father heard God one day and changed his whole life, leaving the pursuit of riches on Wall Street for the conversion of sinners in the back alleys. We went from being rich in material things and poor in spirit to being rich in spirit and poor in material things. I will tell you that I had a blessed and joy filled upbringing. But in my own life I didn’t always follow my father example. When I started to listen more and try to imitate God, when I decided to strive for Heaven, my life changed in waysnI could have never imagined.
My advice. When you get up in the morning tell God you are ready. Ready to do His will. Ask him to make His will clear. Than look for it. Look at the seemingly random people you meet, and ask why God put these people in your path. Sometimes God puts a smiling barista at the coffee counter so that we smile. It’s that simple. Sometimes we ate a listening ear, sometimes we need a listening ear. Don’t overcomplicate, just live. God’s loves you.
The musings of Peter 