Our executives gathered for a two-day offsite strategy and teambuilding session. This one included yet another personality evaluation for all, showing among other characteristics our comfort level with “control.” Regarding influencing others and taking control of a situation, the exercise showed me to be pretty comfortable—on the high side of average. As for my contentment with others taking charge and influencing my direction, however, let’s just say I had a strong preference not to be controlled.
For most, the Christian walk is a continual process of relinquishing control, not only over our own plans, but over God’s plans, too. We can be impatient with God’s pace of revelation (“Please, I need to know right now!”) and we can be anxious about what He has in mind for us (“What if He wants to send me as a missionary?”). And in case He hadn’t thought of it, we even go so far as to suggest how God might go about accomplishing our requests. (“Was that thunder, or a celestial chuckle?”)
God has plans for His people, each of us and all of us. Paul assures us, “we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”1 His are “plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”2 Yet in unsearchable wisdom—and often to our frustration—God keeps His plans a mystery, unknowable to us until He reveals each in His time and in His way. But while we may not always know God’s plans, we do always know His self-proclaimed character— “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.”3 This is who God is.
So comforted in God’s character that we do know, we can be contented with His plans we do not know. If He is by nature good, faithful, loving, and compassionate, certainly His plans for us will reflect the same. We can rest assured, as David did, “You are good and You do good,”4 and “Your faithfulness endures to all generations.”5 We can confidently worship with Jeremiah, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”6 We can trust the wise plans of our good God and relinquish control today. What a relief.
“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9.
Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done wonderful things, things planned long ago.7 Amen.
1 Romans 8:28
2 Jeremiah 29:11
3 Exodus 34:6-7 NIV
4 Psalm 119:68 NASB [emphasis added]
5 Psalm 119:90
6 Lamentations 3:22-23
7 Isaiah 25:1 NIV
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Paul Nordman—Author 