Plans
"If you ever want to make God laugh, just make a plan"
Jeremiah 29:11 happens to be one of my favorite scriptures. It reads, "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." The NIV version substitutes the word thoughts with plans and expected end with hope and a future. Either way, at the end, God is showing His intent on us having good things.
The reason I love that scripture so much is because it is a constant reminder that God's got this! It's so easy to remember, but so hard to really put into action! Trust me, I am the Queen of Stressland and the mayor of Worryville I know what I'm talking about.
You remember when you were little and your parents told you not to do something and you asked them why not (if you dared)? And they looked at you and went, "Because I said so!" and all you could do was just be quiet cus you knew if you said another word there wouldn't be anymore talking from them? But you still wanted to know why, and you would look around and look around for clues as to WHY you just couldn't go climb that fence for fun?
But then you get older and you look at that same fence and the ground below and you go "why would I have EVER wanted to do something that stupid?" Does ANYBODY know what I'm talkin about?
That's what that scripture reminds me of. There are things we want, and people we want, and sometimes we just can't have them, no matter how perfect it seems or how hard we try. And we know that God is telling us that it's not the right thing for us, but we keep trying to ask Him why and begging him to give us things that we are either not ready for, or are just not right for us in His plan. Sometimes it's hard to imagine that there are better things than what we're looking at at that moment, but then you have to remember that fence. What once seemed like the most fun, challenging, and daring thing in the world to do, we eventually came to see as the idiotic, dangerous, and life-threatening distraction it was. It's always been my understanding that history has a way of repeating itself.
So. These plans that we make. We want to go to college. We want to get the 60k a year and up. We want the husband, the house, the kids, in that order. We want the man-man right across the room to become the husband to buy us the house and help us make the kids, in that order. Well guess what? Even if God sees fit to make that FOINE specimen yours, it's not happening now. And you're not going to find out now. Why? Because you are not ready! When we stop looking at that man a fantasizing about what we'll be naming our children, and start focusing on God and fantasizing on what great Kingdom builders we'll be, everything else will come in its due time.
Plans are great. They keep us in line, and they keep us motivated to do what we need to do. But our plans should ALWAYS line up with God's word, and should be flexible to whatever changes He may bring to them. But chances are, if your focus is on getting THAT job, and not whether God wants you to have THAT job, you probably won't be getting your expected results. And if all you can think about is getting married by 27 (not gonna lie, that's my ideal age, but I'm tryin REAL hard to remember it's on God's terms), you're gonna have to work real hard at staying out of awkward situations because you probably won't be where God needs you to be so He can send you a husband.
I'm just saying. God's got this! He knows your thoughts like he knows his own. He feels your hurt and disappointment too. He made you! He sees you, and He understands every need, every fear, and every tear. So move out of Stressland and switch your residency from Worryville to Relaxana.... All your needs will be met. Cus God's got a plan.
Jeremiah 29:11 happens to be one of my favorite scriptures. It reads, "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." The NIV version substitutes the word thoughts with plans and expected end with hope and a future. Either way, at the end, God is showing His intent on us having good things.
The reason I love that scripture so much is because it is a constant reminder that God's got this! It's so easy to remember, but so hard to really put into action! Trust me, I am the Queen of Stressland and the mayor of Worryville I know what I'm talking about.
You remember when you were little and your parents told you not to do something and you asked them why not (if you dared)? And they looked at you and went, "Because I said so!" and all you could do was just be quiet cus you knew if you said another word there wouldn't be anymore talking from them? But you still wanted to know why, and you would look around and look around for clues as to WHY you just couldn't go climb that fence for fun?
But then you get older and you look at that same fence and the ground below and you go "why would I have EVER wanted to do something that stupid?" Does ANYBODY know what I'm talkin about?
That's what that scripture reminds me of. There are things we want, and people we want, and sometimes we just can't have them, no matter how perfect it seems or how hard we try. And we know that God is telling us that it's not the right thing for us, but we keep trying to ask Him why and begging him to give us things that we are either not ready for, or are just not right for us in His plan. Sometimes it's hard to imagine that there are better things than what we're looking at at that moment, but then you have to remember that fence. What once seemed like the most fun, challenging, and daring thing in the world to do, we eventually came to see as the idiotic, dangerous, and life-threatening distraction it was. It's always been my understanding that history has a way of repeating itself.
So. These plans that we make. We want to go to college. We want to get the 60k a year and up. We want the husband, the house, the kids, in that order. We want the man-man right across the room to become the husband to buy us the house and help us make the kids, in that order. Well guess what? Even if God sees fit to make that FOINE specimen yours, it's not happening now. And you're not going to find out now. Why? Because you are not ready! When we stop looking at that man a fantasizing about what we'll be naming our children, and start focusing on God and fantasizing on what great Kingdom builders we'll be, everything else will come in its due time.
Plans are great. They keep us in line, and they keep us motivated to do what we need to do. But our plans should ALWAYS line up with God's word, and should be flexible to whatever changes He may bring to them. But chances are, if your focus is on getting THAT job, and not whether God wants you to have THAT job, you probably won't be getting your expected results. And if all you can think about is getting married by 27 (not gonna lie, that's my ideal age, but I'm tryin REAL hard to remember it's on God's terms), you're gonna have to work real hard at staying out of awkward situations because you probably won't be where God needs you to be so He can send you a husband.
I'm just saying. God's got this! He knows your thoughts like he knows his own. He feels your hurt and disappointment too. He made you! He sees you, and He understands every need, every fear, and every tear. So move out of Stressland and switch your residency from Worryville to Relaxana.... All your needs will be met. Cus God's got a plan.
The part that stuck out to me? Not only does God have it under control, He wants good things for me too! Just because he doesn't want me to have THAT job, doesn't mean he wants me broke and homeless. It means He has something that will be a better fit for me. Why is so hard for us to get that, I wonder?I guess like children, we still tend to be short-sighted, lol.
ReplyDeleteMe likey, Ja!