Planning
Questions
It's the question that haunts us for most of our childhood:
What do you want to be when you grow up?
Then we go to high school:
Where are you going to college? What will you major in?
Then in college:
What are you going to do with that degree?
Then after college:
What will you specialize in?
Then at every single social event you ever go to for the rest of your life:
So, what do you do?
Not that there's anything wrong with the questions. It's just become a part society and polite conversation. But the questions are a bit obnoxious. And if we're not careful, we can let these questions and social niceties become something more: we can let them change the way we see the world.
Presumptions
These questions presuppose that we're supposed to know everything about our lives. We're supposed to have a plan. A direction. We're supposed to 100% know what we're going to do and where we'll be five years from now. There's something to be said about planning for the future and being purposeful in life, to be sure. At the same time, this planning-in-advance can easily become the idol of Control. And the idol of Control leads to the idol of Comfort. The internal dialogue goes something like this: Quite frankly, I want to live a comfortable life, and the more I control, the more I can make my dream of comfort a reality. Therefore, I will plan and plan and plan and implement that plan at any cost. After all, I know what's best for me.
The other thing these questions presuppose is a certain idea of success. We plan and implement plans because that's what it takes to become successful. And we need to become successful because successful people are important. They make something of themselves. And those who can make something of themselves can really become someone.
Identity
Something I learned through adversity is that each individual has tremendous value: this isn't self-confidence believe-in-yourself hogwash, but rather this value comes from God Himself. Every person has a reflection of the divine nature, a reflection of God Himself. Above and beyond that, every Christian has been declared worthy by Christ Himself. It does not matter what we do or what we plan. We don't have to make something of ourselves to become someone. God has already "made much" of us, and there's really nowhere further "up" the ladder we can climb. We're already there.
Our Feelings are Wrong
Furthermore, a friend recently reminded me that God isn't locked-into our plans or lack of plans. This seems basic and dumb, but it was a timely reminder, all the same. In this crazy thing called life, we may feel trapped by certainties that won't go away, or by uncertainties that plague our minds. But either way, our feelings are wrong. God is never trapped. Ever.
Related Posts: Asking the Wrong Questions
It's the question that haunts us for most of our childhood:
What do you want to be when you grow up?
Then we go to high school:
Where are you going to college? What will you major in?
Then in college:
What are you going to do with that degree?
Then after college:
What will you specialize in?
Then at every single social event you ever go to for the rest of your life:
So, what do you do?
Not that there's anything wrong with the questions. It's just become a part society and polite conversation. But the questions are a bit obnoxious. And if we're not careful, we can let these questions and social niceties become something more: we can let them change the way we see the world.
Presumptions
These questions presuppose that we're supposed to know everything about our lives. We're supposed to have a plan. A direction. We're supposed to 100% know what we're going to do and where we'll be five years from now. There's something to be said about planning for the future and being purposeful in life, to be sure. At the same time, this planning-in-advance can easily become the idol of Control. And the idol of Control leads to the idol of Comfort. The internal dialogue goes something like this: Quite frankly, I want to live a comfortable life, and the more I control, the more I can make my dream of comfort a reality. Therefore, I will plan and plan and plan and implement that plan at any cost. After all, I know what's best for me.
The other thing these questions presuppose is a certain idea of success. We plan and implement plans because that's what it takes to become successful. And we need to become successful because successful people are important. They make something of themselves. And those who can make something of themselves can really become someone.
Identity
Something I learned through adversity is that each individual has tremendous value: this isn't self-confidence believe-in-yourself hogwash, but rather this value comes from God Himself. Every person has a reflection of the divine nature, a reflection of God Himself. Above and beyond that, every Christian has been declared worthy by Christ Himself. It does not matter what we do or what we plan. We don't have to make something of ourselves to become someone. God has already "made much" of us, and there's really nowhere further "up" the ladder we can climb. We're already there.
Our Feelings are Wrong
Furthermore, a friend recently reminded me that God isn't locked-into our plans or lack of plans. This seems basic and dumb, but it was a timely reminder, all the same. In this crazy thing called life, we may feel trapped by certainties that won't go away, or by uncertainties that plague our minds. But either way, our feelings are wrong. God is never trapped. Ever.
Related Posts: Asking the Wrong Questions
Posts
