Eileen's Blog - Part 1: God's Plan
Here is a well-known verse in which many evangelical Christians over the years have found comfort. It is from the Old Testament, quoting the prophet Jeremiah 29 v11:
"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".
This message was given to the Israelites who were in exile in Babylon, a time of despair and uncertainty.
It's a promise that God has a purpose for their lives and that His intentions are ultimately for their good and for their restoration. Many people today see this as a personal promise from God to trust in His plans, find hope in difficult times, and have confidence in the future He has prepared.
Thousands, if not millions of evangelical Christians have also searched for practical guidance and have asked themselves...
Well...WHAT Is THIS PLAN?
"God has got a plan for your life?"
How often did I hear this as a young person – in my 20’s.
The way people I knew tried to interpret what it meant made me realise it was easy to be misled.
They asked themselves, should I expect “a verse” or prophecy? Is there some kind of “sign”? Is prayer a kind of slot machine system or do I have to do something to earn what I want/need? Instead of wondering, I just asked Him “ What do you want me to do?”
He said, quite clearly, “ Whatever you like!”
Which made me smile. Love God, love yourself and love others- and do what comes naturally
Because you are not a passenger waiting for a train called "God's plan", or on a bus wondering which stop to get off it: destination "God's plan"
You don't have to do things to curry favour with him. Things like reading the bible, going to church, giving to charity and being nice to people (however worthy or helpful these things might be in themselves) in order to "persuade" him (albeit seemingly reluctantly) to include your own desires and wishes into some predestined (possibly daunting) life's work!
The truth is: Jesus is the Plan!
You and Your Unique Potential and Abilities are the Plan!
The Kingdom of God is the Plan!
The words of Jesus are key to how the kingdom of God works and our part in it. You need look no further. You see, it isn’t what you do exactly, it is how you do it: your motivation and your attitude. This is what the kingdom of God and being a follower of Christ is all about.
The teachings of Christ are often passed over as unattainable or obscure, but they are central to how to live out the kingdom of God in your life.
Some read favourite Bible verses for comfort only, or to find out who or what is right or wrong or maybe try to decide what will happen in the future times. It’s more often than not a case of “pray about it”, hope for the best and try to interpret the outcome, or lack of it.
This limited lens means they have to look for "signs" of divine approval or disapproval in everyday life or "feelings" of peace or otherwise to make decisions: a kind of fatalism says "if it is/isn't God's will” so-and-so will happen.
Yet, the Plan is right there in the words spoken by Jesus in four gospels and does not depend on approved behaviour, predestination, fatalism or anything else vaguely related to them.
This Plan
is embedded
not in laws, rules or behaviours
but in attitudes
Attitudes that Jesus believed were to be found in every person, and that every created person was able to access, and live by them.
Attitudes that he came to awaken in every listener.
Attitudes that gently but powerfully create the kingdom of God, that is Heaven on Earth through the agency of people on earth, who are, after all, made in the divine image and, according to Genesis 1 v26-28/ Hebrews 2 v6-8, have been given the earn to rule, manage and develop!
To adopt, engage in, clothe yourself with and pursue those attitudes, which are shared by the Creator, that is the Plan, the Kingdom Plan. There is no other.
They empower you, they enable you, they fulfill you and reveal to you who you truly are: a god-like being, made in the divine image.
Finding within yourself those Christ-like attitudes and living by them with courage and commitment in any and every circumstance: that, simply, is the Plan.
The word "Christians" was coined by non-believers in Antioch about 43AD. It was a put down. It was derogatory. It meant "little Christs", but believers nevertheless, were happy to adopt it, probably because they saw it as a suitable description! Their aim, as they saw it, was to live out life as “little Christs”.