Journey to Jesus - God's Plan
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight." -Proverbs 3:5 NIV
We all have plans, goals, desires, and things we want out of life. We want all of these things and sometimes we don't get them. Other times, we get them but not at the time that we planned. I think one of the hardest parts of my Christian walk is making sure that what I want lines up with what God wants. When situations occur and don't go as I planned, it's sometimes difficult for me to accept that what I wanted didn't match up with what God wanted. What can be even harder is waiting for God to show me what He wants me to do or what He wants me to have.
I've had this idea of how my life would go for the past couple of years. I had plans that included when I would get married, or graduate college, or have kids, or get into my dream career, etc. However, I've recently come to find that my plan isn't exactly working out and I get frustrated when I see other people who have similar plans that work out. No matter how much I want things to go my way, God has the ultimate plan for my life that is specifically designed for me. I say that to say a few things:
- Sometimes we see other people doing things or getting things that we desire for ourselves (not always in a jealous way, but we want those same great accomplishments in our life). When I find myself wanting what someone else has I remind myself that God has a plan for them just like He has a plan for me and what they have may not be for me and vice versa. Another thing to keep in mind is that we see what people have but we don't always see how they got it - be careful because not everything that someone has is from God.
- We complicate our lives when we try to force things to go our own way instead of seeking what God has for us. God knows our hearts so He knows what we want but it's up to us to pray and ask for those desires and make sure that what we want is in His will. If it is, then we will get it in His timing. "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Matthew 6:33 NIV
- Lastly, sometimes we don't get the things we want simply because we don't ask for them. I once heard someone say, "You won't know the answer until you ask. The worst answer is 'no' which is what you had before you asked so you might as well ask and see if you can have it." I know I can't be the only one who has made a situation more complicated than it needed to be all because I didn't just ask God first before I tried to get it on my own. "...You do not have because you do not ask God." James 4:2 NIV
It's also important to note that when we ask God to give us what we desire, He will always answer but it may not be the answer we wanted. Yes, no, and wait are usually the answers to our prayers but I think "now you know you ain't gettin' that" is also an answer. I'm sure we've all asked Him for something we know we had no business asking for. Sometimes when God's answer is no or wait it feels like He didn't answer. When this happens, I encourage you to then ask Him to show you what His plans are and be patient until it's revealed to you.
"You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised". Hebrews 10:36 NIV
All My Love,
Tyler