Does God have a plan for everyone, even the homeless? This is a great question that was asked by a student. Does God have a plan? It's a good question, and one that I've wondered many times. Is there one overarching plan? How do we know we are within that plan? What happens if we mess up or don't choose the plan God has for us? Does that mean God's plan was wrong and He isn't perfect or all knowing? Jeremiah 29:11 seems to suggest there is a plan, "For I know the plans I have for you declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future (NIV)." But is that one plan? Is it a specific or general plan? These are questions that philosophers have pondered for hundreds & even thousands of years, and still wonder today.
Here's what I think. There is no plan... at least not a specific one. A closer look at Jeremiah 29:11 shows us that the word "plans" is a poor translation. Going back all the way to the Hebrew the word there typically means thoughts, purposes, intentions. If you think about it, God's ultimate intention for all of humanity is to prosper and be blessed within a close relationship with Him. In Genesis, we find that He created man in His own image and called it, "very good." As much as God has a plan, we have free will- the power to choose. I believe that God has intentions for us, I believe He created us with a purpose, but again, ultimately it's our choice.
The main purpose of human beings is to worship, honor & praise God. "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the LORD Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him (Colossians 3:17 NIV)." God created us so we could praise Him. But what would make the praise genuine, authentic & real is if those praising Him had the choice. Think about it, everyone would say they would want someone to choose to love them, not be forced to love them. See, God wants to be in an intimate relationship with us. He wants us to choose to love Him, not to have to love Him. But free will is something for another blog post... or 50 other blog posts. Let's look back at the idea of God's intentions & purpose for us.
So in general, we are to honor & praise God in all that we do. That is very general. Let's get a little more specific about God's plan for us. One awesome thing that God did, was that He made us unique. He gave us different looks, different talents & different passions. For example, I think one of God's intentions for me is to serve as a junior high pastor. I love young people, and I love God and I love to connect the two. Those are all passions that God has given me. Another thing I love is story & pop culture, movies & music. For a brief period I actually was an actor. Honest. I had an agent, a manager, and I even did a commercial. I could have chosen to continue in that. It was another passion God gave me. Honestly, I think I could have glorified God as an actor and pointed people to Him. But ultimately I chose to work in youth ministry & to love & accept young people, and point them to Him.
God's thoughts & intentions for us, is much like a parent's thoughts & intentions for their children. One thing my mom would always tell me to encourage me was, "I just want the best for you." I can hear God's voice saying the same thing, "I just want the best for you. I can nudge you in a direction, I can open doors, & help set up meetings, but ultimately it's your choice. Remember, I want the best for you." So to answer the question, does God have a plan for everyone? I'd call them more thoughts & intentions, these are strengthened by all that He has given us: talents, passions, appearance & opportunity. His thoughts & intentions for us will also always glorify Him, but they can be played out in many different ways. He gives us everything we need to follow in His intentions for us. He wants the best for us but ultimately leaves the choice up to us. So, what are you going to choose?
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