I have been reflecting a lot over the last few weeks on the statement that “God is in control” or “God has a plan”. I am not denying that those are true statements. I truly believe that God is in control even when it appears that He may not be. And I am most certain that God has a plan.
God has a specific plan for each and every one of us. It is up to us to decide if we want to accept God’s plan for our lives or choose another path. That’s the beauty of free will. But the beauty of free will also has an ugly side.
Just look at the world today. There is a whole lot that is ugly and that was not by God’s design but by the choices that we have made – free will. I cringe every time I hear the statement, “If God is a loving God, why do bad things happen?” Free will. We have the ability to make choices and choices have consequences. So maybe we aren’t making the best choices.
We have the capacity to make choices for ourselves independent of God. God loves us so much that He gave us free will, the capacity to think, feel, reason, and decide for ourselves. That’s pretty amazing. Could He just make us love Him, live in peace and harmony, end war, famine, disease, and avert tragedy and calamity? Sure. He could. God is omniscient. But that would look a lot like a dictatorship. It would be forced by God and that would eliminate free will. God doesn’t force.
It is easy to question God’s goodness when we are sick, when we are tired, when we are stressed, when we have trouble in our familial relationships, when there are natural disasters, when there are terminal illnesses, when a loved one dies, when we lose a job, when we lose a friend, etc. It is difficult to see how God is working when you are “inside” the picture and not viewing it from afar. But zoom out. God is in control. God has a plan.
A lot of times we (I) pray and expect to see immediate results from God. It doesn’t always (in fact it seldom does) work that way. Just because we don’t always see how God is moving in a particular moment, doesn’t mean that God is not moving. And what are we doing to change our situation, to influence that for which we are praying? That is not to say we are trying to influence God. God doesn’t need to be influenced.
Praying is an active event, not a passive activity. Simply because God is in control and because God has a plan, that doesn’t mean that we should sit idle and wait for God to act. I think sometimes, that is exactly what we do.
Yes, God is in control. That doesn’t mean that we completely stop and just wait for God to do something. Our actions, our thoughts, our values, our choices play a role in the outcome to some degree. To pray for good health, but to continue eating fast food and refusing to exercise is counterintuitive. To pray for a better job, but not submitting your resume or researching employment options, pretty much ensures that you will stay stagnant. Wanting an improved working environment, but contributing to gossip and drama in the workplace, again completely obtuse. Yes, God can work a miracle, but he wants you to be an active part of that miracle. What work are you putting in to get the outcome you desire? How are you impacting that for which you are praying?
Yes, God can do anything. And yes, God is the master of all miracles. But God wants you to participate. God wants you to get involved. God wants you to exercise free will to make the situation, the circumstance, the event, the world, a better place. What are we doing? How are we appreciating the free will which God has bestowed on us?
God answers prayers in weird ways. And sometimes it may not seem like the answer we wanted. I read somewhere that “God always answers prayers and sometimes the answer is no”. I also know that “God works for the good of those who love Him” – Romans 8:28. So are we angry when things don’t go as planned or do we adjust to find the good in the situation?
I think it all comes down to a matter of perspective. You see, this past week I was ill. I hate being sick, especially in the summer. Plus, I had a full schedule at work with a number of time-sensitive things that needed to be accomplished. God had other plans. I got sick. And not just a summer cold, but a full-blown knock-you-on-your-ass fever, body aches, sore throat, extreme fatigue kind of malady from which I am still recovering. I was in bed for 4 days straight.
Now I am not saying God got me sick. I got sick because of some of the choices that I made. But God used my sickness to make me well in another sense. You see, I had been exhausted and a bit stressed before this ailment struck. I needed to decompress, relax, and refocus. Being sick allowed me to decompress. Being sick forced me to relax. Being sick gave me time to refocus. Being sick required that I ask for help. Being sick made me prioritize things. Being sick made me realize that the things I was stressed about were quite insignificant. Being sick made me realize just how much I appreciate those in my life who took care of me (my husband) and checked in on me (family and co-workers).
I could have been mad, angry, and frustrated that I was ill. In fact, in the very first days, I was. I was worried about all of the things I couldn’t get accomplished and all of the work that fell to my husband and son while I recovered. But the anger abated, and peace came, a peace for which I had been praying for quite some time. Was I expecting to get peace in this manner? Hell no.
I fully expected this peace to come on a backpacking trip (which is my normal happy, peaceful place). I fully expected that our upcoming trip would help me recenter, refocus, and relax. But that trip is not for another week or more. So, God used my illness to bring me peace now. God used my illness to show me how to rest, to teach me to depend on others, and to help bolster my gratitude for others. God healed me through my sickness. Just as He has done so many times before.
Yes, God is in control. Yes, God has a plan. Zoom out (particularly when you are frustrated) and you may get a better perspective. And today, please pray for me and I will continue to pray for you.
Tattoos, Motorcycles, Beer, Bourbon and Faith 