Gods "Plan" for your life

[kari21]

I was watching a televangelist last night who was talking about Gods plan for everyones life. He said that even before we were born, God had a wonderful plan for our lives laid out.

That got me to thinking...

Why kind of "wonderful plan" is it for those children in Africa and other places who are starving to death? Is that the "plan" God had for their lives from before they were born?

It just strikes me as odd that God would have a great plan for some lives, and a horrid one for others.

What is the deal?

[JB Horn]

I was watching a televangelist last night who was talking about Gods plan for everyones life. He said that even before we were born, God had a wonderful plan for our lives laid out.

That got me to thinking...

Why kind of "wonderful plan" is it for those children in Africa and other places who are starving to death? Is that the "plan" God had for their lives from before they were born?

It just strikes me as odd that God would have a great plan for some lives, and a horrid one for others.

What is the deal?

Gods plan is not reveled to us and most likely never will be. But to answer your question with a what if type of answer.

The purpose of all existence is to glorify God and that goes for ALL man kind. So let's do a what if, what if a person like yourself saw the suffering of these children in Africa and your heart soften to the point that you devoted your life to helping them. And what if you went around the world telling others of these children and others came to their aid? Could these acts of unselfish kindness glorify God? Maybe but we know not His plan because we are not quite as smart as the Creator of all things.

It's a hard question to answer but a good question to ask and think about.

By His Grace I was Born in America

JB

[Vickilynn]

I was watching a televangelist last night who was talking about Gods plan for everyones life. He said that even before we were born, God had a wonderful plan for our lives laid out.

That got me to thinking...

Why kind of "wonderful plan" is it for those children in Africa and other places who are starving to death? Is that the "plan" God had for their lives from before they were born?

It just strikes me as odd that God would have a great plan for some lives, and a horrid one for others.

What is the deal?

Shalom Kari,

The truth is, we don't know everything there is to know about G-d, or anything else. His ways and thoughts are beyond our comprehension, no matter how we think we can analyze G-d.

Isaiah 55:

6 "Seek the LORD while he may be found;

call upon him while he is near;

7let the wicked forsake his way,

and the unrighteous man his thoughts;

let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him,

and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

8For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.

9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than your thoughts.

[JB Horn]

Gods plan is not reveled to us and most likely never will be. But to answer your question with a what if type of answer.

The purpose of all existence is to glorify God and that goes for ALL man kind. So let's do a what if, what if a person like yourself saw the suffering of these children in Africa and your heart soften to the point that you devoted your life to helping them. And what if you went around the world telling others of these children and others came to their aid? Could these acts of unselfish kindness glorify God? Maybe but we know not His plan because we are not quite as smart as the Creator of all things.

It's a hard question to answer but a good question to ask and think about.

By His Grace I was Born in America

JB

That's akin to starting a fire in a building so you can "glorify" the Fire Department.

Have you reviewed the book of Job lately?

JB

[meagain]

God already planned my life out. He wants me to live my life as an Atheist so I can teach a class on evil in heaven. Of course, the second before I die, I will accept Jesus as my personal saviour. It's all planned out.

No worries, my future brothers and sisters, I'll see you all soon. Can't wait to see Matthitjah and Oldman Joe in heaven. They owe me beer.

Are you serious

[Guest Biblicist]

I was watching a televangelist last night who was talking about Gods plan for everyones life. He said that even before we were born, God had a wonderful plan for our lives laid out.

That got me to thinking...

Why kind of "wonderful plan" is it for those children in Africa and other places who are starving to death? Is that the "plan" God had for their lives from before they were born?

It just strikes me as odd that God would have a great plan for some lives, and a horrid one for others.

What is the deal?

God has one plan for everyones life. Obedience to Him. Yes it's that simple. "Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you. [Matthew 6:33]

[thesorgo]

God already planned my life out. He wants me to live my life as an Atheist so I can teach a class on evil in heaven. Of course, the second before I die, I will accept Jesus as my personal saviour. It's all planned out.

No worries, my future brothers and sisters, I'll see you all soon. Can't wait to see Matthitjah and Oldman Joe in heaven. They owe me beer.

Are you serious

it sounds like a good idea to me

[mrs]

I was watching a televangelist last night who was talking about Gods plan for everyones life. He said that even before we were born, God had a wonderful plan for our lives laid out.

That got me to thinking...

Why kind of "wonderful plan" is it for those children in Africa and other places who are starving to death? Is that the "plan" God had for their lives from before they were born?

It just strikes me as odd that God would have a great plan for some lives, and a horrid one for others.

What is the deal?

You are right, it is unBiblical to say that God has a wonderful plan for your life. It is a very popular teaching today that is unfortunately giving many many people the wrong ideas about salvation and the Christian life.

It is easy to spot the flaw in it when you look at this example:

What if you were to preach a sermon to those in the Twin Towers the day before they fell? Knowing of the collapse, how could you teach that God had a wonderful plan for their life? You couldn't, it would be a lie. But if because you knew what was going to happen, you then had to change your gospel message, there is a big problem.

If the gospel message is not consistent and the same whether preaching to the rich, children, prisoners, old people, or college students it is false.

God's dealing with mankind is simple; He is the Creator, we are the rebellious creations. We are commanded to repent and obey him. Those who do are changed day by day into the likeness of Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit, those who don't experience the judgment and mercy of God. The fact that it rains on the just and the unjust shows the mercy of God; while Romans 1 shows the result of God's judgement - a turning over of a people to their sins and lusts.

I believe the Bible teaches that God has an elect, those He calls and redeems, sanctifies and glorifies; but that is a topic for another thread. However for a brief overview of it, read Ephesians 1.

[KeilanS]

You make it sound like the people in Africa just sit around starving all the time. Who knows what's actually going on. God has plans yes, but they arn't necessarily plans that will make international news. Maybe one of those starving kids will say something to another African that makes them start wondering about life, maybe that leads them to Christ? Maybe meeting a starving kid in Africa will make a teenage on a mission decide to start a ministry to help solve world hunger problems.

God's ways are not our ways, but we can be sure that his ways are good.

[RedNick261]

If you get a chance, there are two books that I would recommend reading:

1) "Decision Making and the Will of God: A Biblical Alternative to the Traditional View" by Dr. Garry Friesen

2) "Questions to All Your Answers: The journey from folk religion to examined faith" by Dr. Roger E. Olson (for the chapter entitled, "God has a wonderful plan for your life!")

I have spent a good deal of time debating with myself whether or not God has planned out every detail of our lives. Wouldn't it make sense that God, in His infinite wisdom and power, would dictate how life would be lived and to organize every detail of it? At first, I thought, yes! It would!

And then came the problem: reconciling God's revealed character with the character implicit of such a view. First things first, it is important to establish that there is no definitive Scripture that would claim without question that any side of this debate is correct. Then, you must examine God's nature. He is perfect, just, holy, merciful, gracious, loving, powerful, knowledgeable. What do each of these mean for God's character? Well, His perfection is obvious - He is without fault or flaw. His justice is exactly that, the reason that sin leads to death. His holiness means that he is worthy of worship or veneration (justified by His perfection and power). His mercy and grace are illustrated many times in the old testament, culminated with the Cross and salvation. His love is demonstrated through all of this, by His personal involvement in it. His power is demonstrated through Creation and every subsequent event in the history of time. His knowledge is demonstrated in the fact that He knows the number of the hair on our head and what we will pray before we speak it. How, then, do these reconcile with these ideas with a "perfect plan" for our lives?