What is God’s Plan for Me?

Throughout our lives, we ponder the question “What is God’s plan for me?” What is the answer? Is there an answer or is there more than one answer? How do you “know” so that you can determine which paths to take when you have to make decisions, large and small? Do you get caught up in the day-to-day details of your earthly life and fail to consider your spiritual life? How do you find the right balance?

As a school student, you may wonder about which classes to choose and which activities you can participate in to prepare you for college or a specific skill while finding time for family, friends, and fun.

cross with sun in background

How do you know “what you want to be when you grow up” when you haven’t had the chance to hear about or experience all the options available?

As we get older, we may wonder if the profession and job we entered into during our early twenties or thirties is one we want to continue with until we retire. What are our plans for retirement and how do we get there? With all the knowledge and experience we have when we retire, how do we share this with others plus continue to learn?

We are each unique, yet known to God. In the book Your Divine Fingerprint: The Force That Makes You Unstoppable written by Keith Craft, he observes that even twins have different fingerprints, reminding us in terms we can associate with, how truly unique each of us are.

Our relationship and lines of communication with God, regardless of age, are nurtured in various ways such as study of the Bible, prayer, meditation and/or quiet time, discussions with those that you consider to be spiritual mentors, reading and being observant about everything around you, and looking for guidance in God’s creation.

Let us remember Jesus’ teachings about the greatest commandments of love when making daily and long term decisions.

37 Jesus said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind’. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”Matthew 22:37-40

Jesus’ words about loving God with all your heart, soul, and mind are also found in Deuteronomy 6:4-5. These two commandments as stated by Jesus encompass the Ten Commandments found in the Old Testament. The first four of the Ten Commandments deal with our relationship with God. “Love for your neighbor” is reflected in the last six of the Ten Commandments.

God’s plan may not always be easy, but we are assured He will always be available to help us.

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding, 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.Proverbs 3:5-6

Matthew 6 Excerpts (NIV)

Giving to the Needy

1 “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.Matthew 6:1-4

Treasures in Heaven

19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy,[c] your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are unhealthy,[d] your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! 24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.Matthew 6:19-24

Do Not Worry

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[e]?

28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you — you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.Matthew 6:25-34

Footnotes
  1. Matthew 6:22 The Greek for healthy here implies generous.
  2. Matthew 6:23 The Greek for unhealthy here implies stingy.
  3. Matthew 6:27 Or single cubit to your height

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.