I am a planner. I like to know who's doing what and when, and how long it will take. In my younger days, I never needed to keep a calendar; I could simply remember what was happening and where I needed to be. After having children, however, all that has changed. I need a family calendar to remember what each member of the family has scheduled on a particular day. Now, don't get me wrong, I do like spontaneity, and I'm all for surprises. On a day to day basis, though, I pretty much like to know what's going on.
In spite of my planning, though, often it seems that the plan goes awry. For instance, every morning it is my goal to leave the house at 7:00. I get up in plenty of time to get myself and my son ready to leave by 7. But, every morning, something happens to set that plan off track -- Jonah doesn't want to get dressed, or I need to help Kayla with her hair, or I can't get into the bathroom to brush my teeth. You name it, it has happened. So, every morning, we leave the house at 7:20. Of course, usually it's not my fault that we are leaving late; it's because somebody else in the house put my plans off track :-)
I wonder sometimes if it is like this with us and God. Nearly every Christian I have ever met (and that's a lot!) has indicated that they believe, to some extent, that God has a plan for the world. If someone dies, it is "part of God's plan." If a natural disaster wipes out a city, it is because "God planned it that way." Just last night, I heard a complete stranger on her cell phone telling someone that they got a job promotion because it was in God's plan. All that being said, though, I wonder what people would say if I asked them to what extent God plans out everything that happens in this world, and to what extent they think human beings mess up God's plan.
You see, I think that in order to say that something is "part of God's plan," we presume to know what God's overall plan for the world is. In other words, by saying such a thing, we indicate that we know the mind of God. Even the Bible is not quite clear on the issue. Job 38-41 is a series of rhetorical questions that God asks Job to show that Job can never know what God knows. Adam and Eve got kicked out of the Garden of Eden for the desire to know what God knows. Ephesians 3:8-9, however, says that the church is responsible for making God's plan known to the world, yet it is not too difficult to see that "the church" does not quite agree on what God's plan is.
What do you think? Does God have a plan? If so, how can we discern the nature of the plan, or even the extent to which God plays a hand in executing the plan? Are we all just God's puppets, or do we have the ability to mess up God's plan? As we move into discussion about the book of Revelation, think about God's plan and the end of time. What do you think will happen?
34 comments:
For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the LORD, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope (Jeremiah 29:11 NRSV).
This is one of my favorite bible verses. It always has given me comfort in times of trouble. It lets me know that God does have a plan for me. I don't know what that plan is. I will never know what that plan is, because to know what that plan is would be, like you said, to get inside the head of God. Humans tried that once and it got us kicked out of paradise. I think we do have the ability to mess up God's plan. If we didn't why would have had to destroy the world with a flood. Because we, humans, messed up. God also sent his only son to die for us so that we would be saved. God realized we can't keep from messing up his plan so he had to send something to fix it. However, it was more than just something, it was someone. But not just someone, the savior of the world. God's grace says, "I know that you are going to mess up, but I forgive you. No matter what I forgive you." When you realize that, there is no greater feeling in the world.
I feel the same way. The Lord already know what he have plan for me. Only thing I can do is get ready for what is plan. Some people ask the question "If Adam and Eve did not eat that apple , how would life be" Well that is one thing we will never know. It is like God ment for them to eat that apple.All I can say is God have a plan for me and I am ready for it.
I pretty much agree with Michael on this subject, though I prefer to approach the subject through the lens of deism. I believe that god had a great plan and spent time crafting the universe and all within it as it is today. He then set it to go on its own and gave mankind free will.
Naturally, since he gave us free will we likely from time to time mess up his grand mechanisms.
If you think of it in a more scientific aspect we're really more like electrons within the electron cloud of an atom. God has to follow the uncertainty principal in that respect. Many find discomfort in this yet I find it oddly comforting.
Jeremiah 29:11 is also one of my favorite verses. It helped me stay strong when deciding about college. Everytime I would get discouraged I would read that verse and know that God does have a plan for my life. He doesn't reveal his plan all at once because that would defeat the purpose of life. He takes His time in showing us His plan. It's a life process. Nobody knows the future except for God which makes life interesting and a mystery. God knows everything we do and will do. His plan for us never changes. It is us who don't always follow God's plan. Sometimes we choose not to listen to what God says and follow our plan for our life. I have learned from experience and the experience of others that God's plan always works out better for us in the end.
Well personaly I believe that God has a plan for everyones. No matter if we try our best to break that plan that god has in story for us it well never happen, because it well be in his plan for you to try to break his plan. So really you could never break his plan. Also in a scents I guess you can say that God is our puppetMaster, but he GIVES us the desion to take a right or a left. So no I do not believe that God is the Puppetmaster. God has given humans the freedom of free well and the choose of believing in him or not. I think that God and this WHOLE religion thing is very complicated, and only think you can do is put FAITH in Gods hands. You should know that you can change the future or the past. The only thing you can control is the present. So don't live for answers about the future or past live into today.
I do believe that God has your future somewhat mapped out for you. I believe that the old phrase "If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans" fits very well with this topic. You never know if the reason why you may leave the house late, is because something freak may happen on the road, such as a car accident. Another example is that God decides if something happens to you or your family. From the moment you are born, God knows exactly what is going to happen in you life. God has alot planned out for your life. But I also believe that you can make your own decisions about the things you do. You can't force anyone to make you do anything. So you do have some say in your life, but God plays a major role on how your life will turn out.
We recently have talked about the freedom of one's will and the right to choose to follow Christ or not. It's either one or the other- you either follow him or you don't. I believe that this subject is also the same. You either choose to believe that God has a plan for you or you don't. Me personally, I have witnessed the works of God and I have witnessed the works of teh Devil. As I have just sat here and watched "The Exorcism of Emily Rose" I even can see the evidence of God's plan in this Hollywood theatrical production. God let the demonic possession happen to Emily because she would allow others to bear witness to the spritual realm on earth. She had the "choice" to leave the suffering that she was enduring on earth instead of staying, but she made the choice to stay and help others see that God and the Devil are real.
We also have talked about how God made the choice to let Job be tested by the Devil to prove that he knew that Job would not leave his faith in Him- no matter what the Devil did. God has a plan for all of us, even if there are those so called "tests" in route. Those tests are just that- tests to see if you will continue with your choice to follow Christ. We have the freedom to choose to believe that God has a plan and I do believe that The challenges in life he has thrown at me have made me a better person, and I also believe that those tests have steered me down the right path- the path that God has mapped out for me to follow or to stray away from.
Like some of the previous bloggers, Jeremiah 29:11 is one of my favorite Bible verses. In fact, I have it inscribed on my key chain for daily encouragement. This past year has been filled with uncertainty for me; many of my own plans haven't materialized as expected. In the midst of my confusion, it is extremely comforting to believe that God is in control of the events that happen in my life. A number of other verses exemplify God's plans for individual lives. Psalm 32:8 says "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye." Likewise, Proverbs 3:5-6 states, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths." Moreover, Romans 8:28 asserts "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." Thus, I firmly believe that God has a plan for each individual. However, I also agree that we as individuals can choose to reject God's plan for our lives. Take the Israelites for instance. God promised them prosperity and blessings if they followed and obeyed His plan. As we studied, the Israelites chose to reject God's plan and were subjected to centuries of foreign exile/domination. Nevertheless, God's plan ultimately prevailed (from a Christiain perspective) with the birth of Jesus, the Messiah. For the most part, the Jews again rejected God's plan by rejecting Jesus; the Messiah wasn't exactly what they were expecting Him to be. This brings me to my next point: we cannot fully understand God's plans for our lives on our own terms. I do believe that in time God will reveal His plan to a believer. Jeremiah 33:3 confirms this: "Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know." Even so, like the Israelites, this plan may not match what we think God's plans should be. Proverbs 16:9 says "In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD directs his steps." Also, Jeremiah 10:23 states "I know, O LORD, that a man's life is not his own; it is not for a man to direct his steps." Like the Israelites, we all have ideas of what God's plans for our lives should be. When God's plans don't match ours, we become bewildered and perplexed. However, God responds to our confusion in Isaiah 55:8, "'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,' declares the LORD, 'As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.'" When God's plans don't make sense to us, we need to remember that we can only see a part of the picture. God sees the whole picture. Perhaps one day we too will be able to see the entire picture.
Once in a Sunday school class we were asked if God's time and our time were the same. I don't believe so. If God's time and our time are identical then things would happen to us when we asked. God has a plan for us is what christians are taught everyday. I agree, but just as our parents have a plan for us that we don't always agree with. I feel that we don't always like God's plan either. I believe that individual choice guides us in our every day lives. God may have a greater plan for us, but we are the ones who choose the path that we take. We may make mistakes during our lives but if we constantly strive to be good in all our actions, we will have fullfilled a least a portion of God's plan for us.
i feel the same way that most everyone else here has already stated. I believe that God does have a plan for everybody and only he should know that plan. However, i also believe since God give people free will that to so extent he expects us to mess things up to some degree; this also being the reason as to why he gave his only son to always forgive our sins. In the end i think that God's plan does get messed up but lets face it he is God!!!! Meaning that once he sees a way to get each individual back on the track he has set forth then thats exactly what he does. God's actions help people to see how powerful and loving he is - by the time we leave this earth, that is if it doesn't end before then, God will have each individuals plans fixed.
I totally agree with most all of the previous bloggers. I do believe god has a master plan for us but we as human beings do mess it up because we are not perfect. So in turn i think that gods plan changes when we mess his plan up. I believe that the end of the world is far far far far away from happening. I think that it is going to take complete chaos in the world for god to start giving signs that the world is comin to an end.If god destroys the world what will he do as far as people will he just not make anymore? If he destroys us what will he do?
Im not sure on GOd's planfor the end of time. I have heard the stories that he has choosen a certain number of people to go with him and everyone else is left behind. Or that he only takes the pure and holy people and then one has to think what God means by that and even then its hard to say who will go. Some say that the Earth its self will die and turn into a hell and only thoes saved go with the Lord to Heaven. I sometimes just weather not think about the whole thing. I think that it wont really happen in my life time but i do know that i must live a life as close to GOd as i can and teach my children and others to follow in GOd's vission for us so that when that day does come that they will be safe. SO that is kind of makes a wave out thourgh out time and hopefully more and more people better them selves.
I do believe that God has some sort of plan for our lives. I'm not sure what God has planned for my life, but as each day comes I pray that his will, will take place. God shows me what he expects me to do, and from there I can decided to follow it or not. I really am not sure how I feel about the question can we mess up Gods plans. He knows all things, and take means he knows what we are going to do. So I don't really know how to answer that question because he already knows what we will do, so does he consider that in his plan? I agree with Michael that through Jeremiah we can see that God does have a plan for us. I agree with jrohland when she says that we wont always agree with God's plan. I also agree with kfraiser when she says God has some sort of plans for our lives.
Well the computer messed up when i was trying to send my blog thingy out so only half went out, this is the first part that was left out:
I think that God does have a plan for us. But i dont think that its a astep by step guide. I think that he has more of an outline for us that he wants done. I think that he overall wants us to grow from children, learn about him(God), live happy and helathly lives, spread his name and words, have children and teach them his ways along with teaching outhers so that his little arm of followers grows. I think that he does play a part in all of it. I just dont think that we are his little dolls. I think that he sets us uo to choose our own path to follow but he also lets us know what he wants us to complete in our lives. So that would mean that we all have the ablitity to mess up his plan and to mess up our own plan. But in the larger view it only might mess up his plan alittle. But we also have the ablitity to follow his plan andn live the lives that he wants us to and influence others along the way and thus more of his plan is followed through.
And now go back up to where my first blog is for the rest. Sorry about that.
As most of us agree, I believe God has a plan for all of us. Some of us may know what his plans are but I am sure most of us don't. As long as there is a plan for us no matter what, then I know everyone will be happier knowing there is a plan from god.
I believe that everybody has their future already decided for them when we are born. Although I do think it is possible to slightly change that plan. Perseverance and will power can alter some aspects of God's plan. Other decisions can also make God's plan worst than he wanted, we still have some power over what we become.
This is interesting to me in the sense that it has no comparison. I mean to me everything is God's plans and he knows all and see's all. We are not his puppets be he has control over us. God knows our ending and beginning. But i also believe that we should not be focused on "God's Plans" but yet we should be focused on our plan to get to him. If we just focus on that "God's Plan" will fall into our lap as a perfect and wonderfull thing. We should look at him as the plan and focus ultimately on him.
I'm really torn by this... I feel the same way as adria pretty much. I believe that God has a general outline of our lives and then we help to execute the exact plan. I dont think we are God's puppets and i dont think that we can mess up God's plan. I believe all our mistakes and screw ups are already part of the plan. Who knows what is going to happen at the end of time. I dont know what my future entails and neither does anyone else. I think God will do what is best for the people, and thats all we can hope. As much as we want to sometimes, we cant beg and plead with God to change decisions or bring people back to life. All things happen for a reason. Its part of the plan :)
i agree with angie and adria in that God does have a plan. I believe he has a plan for every thing and everyone on earth. The only thing is, is that i belive he has a plan basically like looking at the "big" picture of life. I believe he gives us the lead way to make our own details. He gives us just enough rope to either save ourselfs from falling off the way side or just enough to hang ourselves. I guess what i am trying to say is that yes God does have a plan, but not for everymove or everything that we do in life. So no we are not God's puppets, thats why he gave us the ability to think and reason for ourselves, but he does have a plan for everyone and we will find out what that plan actually is one day.
Everything has a plan in life. I think god has a plan for everything but we are the ones who have to find out what our plan is and what we should do to get what ever it is. In a way i think god teaches us listens everyday because if you make one mistake once we should learn not to do it again, but i think that we have to proove that we deserve what ever he has for us.
That is true God has a specific plan for us all. It is true that he knows our end result but Adam and Eve had to eat from the tree. It was something that had to be done for the simple reason it came to past. If God knows all in the beginning, the middle, and even now. It was meant to be, the lives we have are choosen. Now it is our job to make it to God.
It is revelation to me but it is true. God does not want to reveal the plan he has all at once. God places the tools that we will need before us and then gives us the chance to decide to take the broad are narrow path. Most people try to use God not revealing his plan as insintive to say that christianity is a game. It is not it is discipline, love, and faith.
That is so true, to reiterate; God does have a plan for each and every life here on earth. But it is not true that God treats us like puppets. He gives us so many choices, we have so many ways to obtain many diffrent results. I just believe we get to wrapped up in knowing God knows our every move that we lose whats important and that we must course life in order to understand his kingdom and life without perfection.
i agree with a lot of people who says that God already has our life plan for us. To tell u the truth, this question is really difficult to answer. what i can say is that i believe that God has a plan for everyone and everything happens for a reason. i believe that God has a plan for us but just like people, Gods plan gets mess up. one thing that God gave human was free will which is we can make our own decisions. Most of the time, our decisions does not meet with God's plan and that is when God's plan for us get messed up
I always have the strangest reactions once I read one of these like this time....a giggle. Sorry, I do NOT know what God is planning, nor do I ever say, nor will I ever say 'that was just God's plan'. Without a doubt I believe that everything happens for a reason, but not that way. I completely believe that one has absolute control over their fate and why they get what they get out of life, situations, and everything really. Like natural disasters, I don't believe that's God's punishment for their actions or something like that, it's mother nature's vengence. I believe that I have a plan, God may have a plan for me I don't know, but I know I have a plan and so far it's working out for me real well.
I believe that God truely has a plan for everyone. For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the LORD, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope (Jeremiah 29:11 NRSV), is one of my favorite verses along with Michael loadholdt. I believe that whatever comes to you is going to come whether you want it to or not. Another familiar phrase rather says that "He will never put more on me than i can bare." Jim page makes a good point when he states that he believes God gives us the lead way to make our own details. He gives us just enough rope to either save ourselves from falling off the way side or just enough to hang ourselves. Molly arnold makes since, when she says that God wouldn't put us in if he didn't want us to mess .up, so yes God has a plan for everyone!!!
There are so many different beliefs and churches that have their own perspective as to how God's plan works. I personally think God is All knowing, and in a way he is somewhat like us in that he has the same responsibilities, but for everyone on the planet. God has everything planned out and everything happens for a reason. I don't think that we are God's puppets, but God knows what we are going to do before we do it. We have free choice, but God knows what our choices will be. I think God will execute his plan in Revelations and what I think is simply not important in regards to God's plans.
I think god has a plan for everyone I just think that people want things so fast and they don’t be patient. I think god make certain people wait like football players they wait four to five years and then they go pro that’s how I think god blesses them in that situation other people that hit the lotto’s and stuff like that god also have them wait a while also I just think that god has a plan for every one I just think you have to wait it out and if you cant wait then I feel that you wont be satisfied because its all about patience. But wait it out because you never know when you can hit the lotto or be a professional singer or dancer making a lot of money in some way or some how. But god can also bless you in other ways also like as in getting you off of drugs for years and having you do right and making better decisions its different ways please believe.
I can see how people find comfort in thinking that god has a plan for everyone. Especially during times of great pain or bad circumstances, but personally I dont like the idea that god knows everything that I am going to do before I do it. It makes me feel powerless, I like to think that the things I do, I do because I want to not because someone or something is controlling me. Someone a lot smarter than me told me once that he believed that God knows everything that you do and are going to do but he does not interfere with the choices that you make. That God would rather you choose to follow his plan rather than force you, turning you into a puppet. Does God have a plan, I think that God does have a plan for everyone but it is not a detailed plan, but more like guidelines or an outline that you can choose to follow. If God does have a detailed plan for everything that happens then were do serial killer fall in? Does God allow them to kill all of those people so that the victims can get to heaven and just damn the serial killer, or does God care about the serial killer as well?
(KENDALL GLENN)I THINK THAT PEOPLE FIND COMFORT IN GOD HAVING A PLAN FOR THEM BECAUSE WHEN SOMETHING BAD HAPPENS IT MAKES YOU FEEL ALOT BETTER BECAUSE YOU KNOW THAT IT HAPPEND FOR A SPECIFIC REASON AND THAT MAKES ANYONE FEEL BETTER. THE REASON THAT I BELEIVE SO STRONGLY IN THIS IS THAT GOD IS THE ULTIMATE AND IN THE END HE KNOWS WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO BEFORE WE DO IT ANYWAY SO IF HE DOES NOT HAVE A PLAN HE WOULD NEVER ALLOW US TO DO THESE THINGS.
When I was younger, I used to think that God knew everything I was ever going to do in my life. But I don't completely believe this now. God gave humans free will - he showed that with Adam and Eve. Was it part of God's plan to have them sin? Was the "serpent" that tempted them part of his plan? I honestly don't think so. I think it is possible, in his omnipotence, that he knew it was going to happen, but I don't think that's what he wanted or planned.
Take the flood, for instance. God sent the flood because people weren't acting the right way. They were sinning all over the place, so God tried to start over. He got rid of everyone but Noah, who was a good guy. We discussed that in class, and maybe the flood was God's way of saying, 'Let's give this another try.'
I have come to belive that there is good, and there is bad. There is holiness, divinity, goodness, and there is evil in the world. These two forces act on us constantly, and we make decisions every day as to which way to go.
Does God have a plan? I think so. But that's not saying that his plan never gets messed up. I believe that God has called me to ministry - he has that plan for me. But I can, with the free will he gave me, choose to not be a pastor. What I can do is try to live a Christ-like life, the life God wants me to, so that hopefully I'll end up doing the right thing, the thing he wants me to do.
I believe God does have a plan for everyone and he does let you to decide which way you want to go. Things happen for a reason even if people say God already know what choice your going to make, the reason could be that you cause the problem. I agree with zeppelinchic that, "I don't believe that's God's punishment for their actions or something like that, it's mother nature's vengence." Thats true because whatever mother does doesn't mean God cause Katrina to happen to the people in New Orleans. Somethings do just happen just because.
I believe god has a plan because he has saved me from a lot of things such as an almost fatal car accident in which I hit a tree, fence, and two telephone poles without a scratch so I knew he had a plan for me. When something does not go the way I intended I just think about it as it was not meant for me and I would have something different in store for me in the future. My high school football coach always says that things happen for a reason
I believe that god does have a plan for us. I think that everything happens for a reason. You might not know it right now but sooner or later we will know why that certain thing happened. I think that even though God does have a plan for us sometimes we take the long way of getting there. We make mistakes and go the wrong paths but in the end we will eventually figure out where we are suppossed to be in our plan that God has for us.
Post a Comment