To this, I pushed back... what about Jeremiah 29:11? To this my friend replied, "If you read the passage in its context, you'll learn that the plan is not for a person, but for a nation." I scoured the Scriptures for other verses, and when I read them objectively, I came to a conclusion.
He's right.
But, it began to make more sense. For the past few years, I was beginning to wonder of the unhealthy commercialism that has crept into the Church. I was sick and tired of people who were disguising their selfishness with religious talk (sadly, includes me). "You died for ME! I'm going to heaven! Bless ME! Do this for ME!" I probably didn't like the professor's quote at first because I was a consumer as well.
Knowing that God didn't promise me a plan to prosper and not harm me helped me realize that its not about me. It's about Him.
Wait a minute... Does this mean, God doesn't care about us? God has plans for the world, but not for the individual? What am I supposed to do in this world without knowing my plan?
That's when I realized something: If God has a plan for the world, how does He accomplish it? He could easily do it with a snap of His fingers, but He doesn't. He uses His people, the church. What I'm trying to say is, rather than us focusing on God giving us a plan, He wants us to join Him in His plan.
His plan becomes our plan! The minute we said YES to Jesus, we have let go of our dreams and began living according to His dream that does not harm but prospers the world.
God, help me to find your perfect plan for this world, and help me to adopt it.
