Have you ever had things not go according to the plans that you had? Have you ever found yourself in the place of literally not knowing what to do because you hadn’t even thought of a different scenario playing out? There are times in life that things don’t go as expected. Life sometimes is cruel. What do we do when that happens? How do we respond and react?
There are some things in life that are relatively easy to adapt to. They are, in light of the big picture of life, small. They might not seem like it at the time, but when looking at the totality of life they are. Things like a child getting a cold, having a bill come in that you hadn’t planned for, a baby having a diaper blowout when you’re at an important social event.
But what I am talking about is the bigger issues in life. Ending up in a career that you hadn’t planned for, not knowing how you are going to get out of debt, or receiving a diagnosis that confirms that you have cancer. Maybe you have a child that goes off of the deep end in spite of good parenting and direction I remember one time as an adult that I let my heart get caught up in a vocational position that I felt was part of the overall story of my life and “success”. I got to the place where I thought that not only was I the natural next one to step into the position, but I was the one that deserved the position. It was the “God-given” next step on the ladder of progression to the top for me. The long story short is that it didn’t happen. I was devastated. I even felt like people that were close to me stabbed me in the back and didn’t fulfill their promises to me. What does the Bible have to say about these times? What tools can we use to not let the times that don’t go as we think that they should take our legs out from underneath us?
Joseph is the most obvious example of someone that had things take an unexpected turn. But somehow, he not only survived. He thrived! How did he get past the disappointment and heartache of being sold into slavery by his brothers? How did he live without being able to see his father anymore? Here’s a couple of principles and verses of Scripture that I think might help us get and keep a right perspective.
- Remember that God has plans for us, and they are better than our own.
a. In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps. (Proverbs 16:9)
b. My ways are higher than your ways. Isaiah 55:9 - God can use difficult and unexpected things to bring about better things.
a. And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them. Romans 8:28
b. God didn’t say that everything that we go through is “good” or part of His perfect “plan” He simply says that He is able to take the unexpected and do something positive with it. - God will always walk through the unexpected seasons with us.
a. When you walk through the waters of difficulty, I will be with you. Isaiah 43:2
I encourage you to read through the story of Joseph, especially Genesis 50. He seemed have a great perspective, even when his plans turned upside down. When he saw his brothers again years later he said,
You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. Genesis 50:20
Could what we think are failed plans actually turn out to be the perfect plans of God? I now can see that what I wanted and thought was the right position for me really wasn’t. I just couldn’t see it at the time. Was I wronged? Probably. Would it have been a good position for me. Most likely. Would God have used me? Yes. But… God knows best. And I can truthfully say looking back that I am glad that things turned out like they did.
Let’s learn to say what Jesus did to
His Father… “Father not My will but Yours be done”.
SOAP Scripture: Genesis 50
S: (scripture)
Read the above passage and underline, highlight, or write down passages that stand out to you. Maybe re-read it a few times if that’s helpful.
O: (observation)
Write down things you observe about the passage. Maybe it’s a word that stood out to you, something the passage made you think about, or a question that you have.
A: (application)
Write down some ways that the passage applies to your life. Make it personal.
P: (prayer)
Take a moment and pray. Ask God to make the passage practical to your everyday life.
