God's Plans Aren't What I Wanted

God's Plans Aren't What I Wanted 

In this second post today God's evidently got a message for someone out there...

It's true that more often than not what happened in my life isn't remotely what I was looking for in my life. Pretty much what God did or allowed to happen was nothing close to what I was after.

Then again look at this question of plans differently.  What if His plans cause other Believers to get upset with you when you obey, go and do?

What if it's God who's the one who offended me?  

First things first.  He is God and we are not. When we came to Christ we gave up any ideas of how our lives were going to be.  Including if what He has in mind isn't 'us'.

Indeed God does know our hearts.  Jeremiah 17:10 NASB "I, the Lord, search the heart,

I test the mind, To give to each person according to his ways, According to the results of his deeds."

God knows what we are like. Yet in regards to life we who are in Christ fall under the same umbrella of "disciple".  We need to understand what that means.  It means we give up living life the way we see fit in order to learn a way of life that the Spirit sees fit for us. 

1 Corinthians 12:4-13 NASB "Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.

For just as the body is one and yet has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit."

The Spirit places us in the body of Christ where we will be the most effective. 

It's also been said, and wisely so, that quite often we are only in the lives of others for a season.  

So who decides that? Read between the lines of 1 Corinthians 12 that we just read. 

When you get upset that someone moved away, are you setting your interests on you or on what the Spirit is doing?

Peter was rebuked for putting his interests ahead of God’s interests. We would be exceedingly arrogant to not think we couldn't fall into the same trap. 

To some, things like life not happening the way they wanted, its why they fell away from God. 

To some, a major change by God, caused them to stop seeking to serve. They were 'burned' and now no longer walk with Jesus as they used to.  Some have been shipwrecked in their faith.  Life in all intents and purposes has been about existing rather than living. They essentially live in the past, in their memories. They collect back the things of their childhood. 

Some intentionally avoid Church all together. They don't like what God permitted or ordained to happen and they're upset about it but won't tell God that's what is wrong.  It comes back to unconfessed sin. Scripture says that he who knows the good he ought to do and does not do it, sins.

Has my life turned out as I hoped for? My Dear Reader, I will admit there's things in my life that I probably would have liked to do and will not be doing. Does that mean that God doesn't care about what I wanted? No. Not at all. What I wanted doesn't fit into His plans for mankind.  

I know of people who won't outright say that God's plans for us upset them, but the evidence points to the fact that they are upset.  It's between them and God. The Great Commission begins with "Go". Doesn't say go if your family is ok with it. Doesn't say go if your friends are ok with it.  Doesn't say anything but to imply obedience. Just go where you are to go when you know that it's God sending you.

My heart breaks for those who are in all reality mad at God.  I know of people who have walked away from Jesus because of something in their past.  I know of people who are more loyal to people than to God's plan for them so they live unfulfilled lives. 

My heart breaks because as Scripture says they have eyes but don't see and have ears but refuse to hear, they've actually turned away from God. If they would but turn, see and hear He would be ready to heal and restore them to Himself. That's a promise from God. 

This Memorial Day there's many with broken hearts because those who chose to serve our country gave the ultimate with giving their lives.  Some with broken hearts due to those who served who have passed on. 

Some don't realize they are breaking Jesus’s heart by not trusting Him completely with their lives, their future. His plans appear to be something that they don't want or like.  

While I said that there's things that I wanted to do in life that God's not allowed nor will allow, what I have gained instead far outweighs its loss. We are blessed beyond anything we have deserved. Each day in our lives might bring something unexpected to us, but certainly isn't unexpected to Jesus.  

We can choose to live in disobedience and suffer for it or choose to run with the plans God has for us. We can try to live in the past or embrace the future that has us in the center of God’s Will.  We won't know until we obey. 

If any of these apply...

Confess your misplaced anger at God or your anger at others for obeying Him. 

Confess your sins of disobedience. 

Confess that you've been trying for far too long to live your life your way.

Confess that you've put your loyalty to people above your obedience to God. 

Get your life back on track today.  You may even be in the wrong church for you. Ask the Spirit if you really are where you are supposed to be.  Certainly don't go by feelings. One of the jobs of the Spirit is our sanctification.  If we aren't becoming more like Christ then where we are is wrong. 

Be who you're supposed to be in Christ.