We get so caught up in “the plan,” don’t we?
You know what I’m talking about. That constant desire to know what God wants you to do in this life.
God has been speaking to my heart, and man…this may be the most important lesson I’ve learned so far.
A lot of my conversations with God have gone like this:
Me: “Hey God, thank You for today. What do You want me to do about this situation?”
God: “Spend time with Me.”
Me: “Okay, but I need to make a decision. Which way do You want me to go?”
God: “Get to know Me.”
Me: “Okay. How do You want me to use this gift You’ve given me?”
God: “Seek Me.”
Me: “That’s what I’m doing right now.”
Finally, I stayed quiet long enough to hear Him say: “No you’re not. You’re seeking answers. You’re seeking the plan, not Me.”
Gut. Punch.
How would we feel if, the majority of the time our children talked to us, they asked, “What plans do you have for me?” What if, during their time spent with us, the main thing they wanted to talk about was what we want them to do?
Of course we’re glad when our children want to obey and do what’s right. But that’s not what brings our hearts true joy. Our children spending time with us is what really makes our hearts soar. We love the moments when our child crawls up in our lap just to cuddle. They lean into us and we pull them in closer because there’s nothing better than our children coming to be with us simply because they love us.
I believe God desires the same thing.
“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you…” James 4:8
Of course, it’s not at all wrong to seek God’s will for our lives and ask for His guidance. In fact, it’s necessary. But it shouldn’t be the first thing we seek. The first thing we seek should be God Himself. We need to be careful not to let God’s purposes for us become our god.
“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you as well.” Matthew 6:33
It doesn’t say, “Seek first God’s plan for you.”
“Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4
It doesn’t say, “Delight yourself in figuring out the Lord’s purpose for your life.”
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.” Matthew 22:37-38
It doesn’t say the first and greatest commandment is to “Love the Lord your God’s plans with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”
What we desire most from our children is to have a relationship with them. God wants that too. That’s what He created us for. God doesn’t need us for His will to be accomplished. His will will be accomplished whether we allow Him to use us or not. He didn’t create us just to fulfill our purposes. He created us to be in relationship with Him. To know Him.
And guess what happens when we get to know Him and His character? It becomes easier to discern His will for us. We learn His purposes for us as a result of spending time with Him and delighting ourselves in Him. When we are faced with a decision, we can take it to Him with confident expectation that He will guide us and we will hear Him because we’ve become familiar with His voice. As we spend time with God because we love Him, He reveals His plan for us step by step as we need to know it. He equips us to handle it because, in seeking Him, we learn His character and become more like Him. Everything falls under spending time with Him and getting to know Him, including discerning His plan for our lives.
“The plan.” There’s nothing wrong with the plan. But the plan didn’t save us. The plan hasn’t covered us with forgiveness. The plan isn’t what’s healing us. The plan isn’t renewing our minds. The plan didn’t create us and the plan doesn’t love us. So let’s not make the plan our god.
Heavenly Daddy,
Thank you for who You are. Thank you for the lessons you teach me and the good plans you have for me. Help me not to allow “the plan” to become more important to me than You are. Help me to keep You as my focus and know that Your good plan will follow as I seek You, in Jesus’ name!
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