God Doesn't Have a Plan

Jeremiah 29:11

“’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”

In times of suffering where I’ve felt lost, alone, and broken, friends of mine have tried to comfort me with the words “God has a plan, Shannon.” “God wouldn’t give you anything you can’t handle.” “Everything happens for a reason.”

To be quite honest, those words have only ever left me more frustrated and lost. I never knew what it was about those commonly used phrases that left me so empty; but I was certain they hadn’t provided me with any new source of light.

What I’ve since discovered is this: God doesn’t have a plan.

God doesn’t sit in heaven and reach down his almighty hand to place things in our lives like people, events, blessings, or misfortunes. That is a common misunderstanding that results from a gross oversimplification of our Lord. When we proclaim that God is responsible for each and every event in our lives we forget something very important: if God has given you your blessings, that means he’s also given misfortune to the oppressed. When you thank God for giving you a home, the homeless nearby grow angry with the God who hasn’t given them shelter. When I’ve suffered abuse and those around me have said, “God doesn’t give you anything you can’t handle,” and “God has a plan,” I’ve been infuriated with the malicious God who not only allowed me to suffer unjustly, but planned for that to happen. When we use this kind of theology we will never have a satisfying explanation for the suffering in the world.

God doesn’t have a plan, he has plans in which we are active participants. We’ve been given free will, and this means that we choose our paths in life. God walks alongside us as a companion, he doesn’t distantly direct our lives like a drill sergeant. We are subject to the influences, both good and bad, of those around us. God doesn’t control the actions of any human because we’ve been given free will. But he does walk alongside us when we suffer and when we prosper. Regardless of the circumstance and situation, God has new grace and mercy for us each day; those are his plans. No decision we make, or situation we face will ever change the unconditional love that we receive each and every day. God enables us to see the beauty in dark situations, and overcome adversity with great strength. God gives us the patience, love, and compassion that we couldn’t muster on our own. He’s there with us each and every day and is responsible for showing us the beauty of this life, but he does not direct every moment of it. In order for us to receive blessings, we have to turn to God and walk with him. The blessings of that relationship are always available, but often we choose to walk away and face misery.

I find this so much more comforting than believing God has one plan for my life. This means I can live my life with God, not for God. This means when I face an impossible choice, I can know that joy will await me either way as long as I continue the journey with God. This means that the suffering I’ve faced isn’t a punishment from God, it’s a result of sin and Satan. This means God will forever be at my side waiting for me to seek comfort and joy in Him, and with that knowledge I can persevere.