What Is God’s Plan For Your Life?
By Mike Edwards
It is often said that God has a plan for your life or everything happens for a reason. This suggests God is all-controlling and implies God is responsible for tragedies in your life. I doubt that! One may think an all-powerful, almighty God knows the future and has complete control. But, how can God be all-controlling and humans have some freedom? Even the Bible claims love does not insist on its own way (I Cor 13:5). Controlling love is an oxymoron. What would a loving, uncontrolling God want for your future?
Freedom requires an unspecific plan for your life by God
A known or set future suggests one isn’t truly free to choose otherwise. God may know all possibilities, but the future must be open if we are truly free. God can’t tell you if the person you want to marry won’t end up betraying you or the job you take won’t end up being phased out. We surely have God’s blessing choosing the wisest path known at the time based on past experiences, current circumstances, and future aspirations. When the Bible says God grieves with us in our suffering, we can know God agonizes with us each step of the way while celebrating our joys. God’s plan is not a detailed blueprint but a general one to set us free to love.
No, God doesn’t plan tragedies in your life!
In God’s defense, it is not possible for God to create freedom unless there is the possibility of love or hate. Without freedom we could accuse God of not creating the very best world where only true, authentic relationships can develop. Freedom also allows humans to develop qualities of moral character that cannot be created initially. Freedom though cannot guarantee a pain free universe.
No, God doesn’t plan for you to be unable to have children if you desire to be a mom or dad
No, God doesn’t plan for your body to be wrecked by cancer
No, God didn’t want you sexually or physically abused as a child
No, God didn’t want your partner to leave you by wanting a divorce
No, God didn’t want your loved one murdered or severely injured in a car accident
Does God have any plan for us?
Has the real message of Jesus been hijacked? Many of us who attended the institutional church were taught that God’s main mission was to save us from hell so we could go to heaven after death here on earth. All we had to do was say a prayer: “Thank you Jesus for dying on the cross for my sins. Please forgive me. I receive You as my Lord and Savior. Help me to live for you.” I can find no place in the Bible where Jesus advised such a prayer or demanded certain confessions to follow Him. The Good News couldn’t be about escaping a fiery, torturous God if such a hell isn’t biblical. See here.
Understand Jesus, understand God! Jesus didn’t speak of a certain prayer to repeat. Jesus commended Zacchaeus for recognizing a journey necessary to avoid personal destruction. Salvation is not a future destination but a currently reality (Lk 19). Jesus told the woman who had committed adultery: “go now, and leave your life of sin” (John 8). When Jesus was asked by a religious expert how to have eternal life, He simply said to love God and your neighbor (Lk.10:25–37). Jesus understood loving God leads to loving your neighbor. Jesus hung with the despised to reveal God’s love for all. Jesus confronted the religious who kept laws but didn’t follow Jesus with their heart. Jesus sought changes of the heart for the good of the world. Godly living in this world leads to a meaningful life with less regrets.
God can influence despite being invisible and inaudible
God’s will isn’t some hidden plan to discover. God’s plan can’t be a detailed blueprint but a general one to set us free to love. Rational beings know they should love others like they want to be loved. Many decisions aren’t black and white, even for God. Do we speak up about one’s behavior or risk driving them further away? God joins us in considering risks to change the world for better. God’s moral ways are not mysterious or hidden. God seeks only to influence us to do all the good, rather than evil, in all the places we can, at all the times we can, to all the people we can, as long as we can. Jesus prayed God’s will be done on earth as in heaven (Mt. 6:10).
What Is God’s Plan For Your Life?
Mike Edwards has been writing for Done with Religion for some time and has been a great addition to the site. He couldn’t find enough people to discuss God openly so he started blogging years ago. Mike also has his own site where he writes that can be found at What God May Really Be Like He can be contacted by email at: medwar2@gmail.com
