If I’ve heard it once, I’ve heard it a million times:
God has a wonderful plan for your life.
Tell this to a grieving mother standing beside a gaping grave dug for her child. Tell it to a man who can’t keep the voices away, who longs to be normal but can’t will his mind to function properly. Tell it to a woman who was raped. Tell it to a child while he is being cut into pieces and suctioned from his mother’s womb.
I understand the sentiment behind what we are saying when we use this phrase. But, my friends, look around you. A great many people live lives full of sorrow, tragedy, horror, pain, and abuse.
Where is God in all this? the seeker will ask. What does God have to do with the pain and the sorrow in this world?
Why, everything.
He sees, He cares, He knows, and, yes, His will reigns supreme. This world is broken. We are broken people. God told us this would be so. He never promised a wonderful life. In fact, He promised hardship. Jesus said the poor will be blessed. But, He didn’t say He would end poverty. He said those who mourn will be comforted. But, He never promised that mourning wouldn’t be part of our lives.
Life is hard, even when you’re a Christian. Even when you try to love God with all your heart, bad things will happen. Terrible things will come. And, this is the danger in telling each other God has a wonderful plan for your life. Because there are just too many moments and hours and days and weeks that don’t feel like a wonderful plan. They feel like an awful plan. They feel like a devastating plan. And, in those moments, the wonderful life idea just rings hollow. It makes us mad at God. It makes us resent Him and it leads us to believe that He was lying when He said, I have a wonderful plan for your life.
Only He never said that. We have confused something well-meaning Christians have repeated millions of times with something that God actually promised. Yes, someone has been lying to you, but it’s not God.
Here’s the truth of the matter: If you are a Christian, God has a wonderful plan for your eternity. Jesus promised that He is getting some pretty amazing (dare I say wonderful) stuff ready for you in Heaven. And, He is coming back to Earth to do a whole new wonderful thing someday.
God has a plan for your life on earth, too. But, it’s not for a 100% wonderful existence. That was the garden of Eden. Times have changed. Our lives on earth will be trying, difficult, sometimes tragic, sometimes almost unbearable, often sprinkled with lots of great times, truly amazing and awe-inspiring experiences, and love. And all of these things, good and bad, bring glory to God, can help us know Him more, can bring us to our knees, can take us sailing to heights we’ve never known before. The human existence is a roller coaster of fear, doubt, happiness, pain, fun, beauty, anger, grace, mercy, anguish, and brokenness. God gives wonderful moments. But, this life isn’t always wonderful.
Learn to be okay with that. Learn that God does what He does for reasons you can’t always see or understand. Learn to believe that God is good, even when the un-wonderful of life creeps in.
This life is only one stitch in the infinite and intricate fabric of eternity. There is so much wonderful waiting for us in that forever. Until then, God loves you, and He has a plan for your life. Whatever it is, don’t lose faith when wonderful seems miles away. Even when the circumstances of life aren’t wonderful, our God still is.
Beautiful!
I whole heartily agree. I have been suffering almost my entire life. Believing in God doesn’t magically make everything in my life wonderful. I was thought to believe, heard countless sermons, and I even preached and taught for decades that God does have wonderful plans.
I have believed that God has wonderful things for my life because of the fact that all my life, I’m full of pain and suffering that just won’t go away. If I were to change my name that describes my life, it would be, “suffering and pain”.
I have sought for may years why I have to suffer the way I suffer, day and night and night and day like this although I believe and trust in all the goodness and greatness of God.
With time perhaps, pain will lessen and suffering will stop, but the fact is I am in more suffering now than when I was 30 years ago when it first triggered.
I have been serving as a pastor 30 years and as a missionary 15 years, traveled countless miles, been to various places where no missionaries have ever gone before me, done countless rallies, etc but myself I am so in suffering, I am completely lost at many times and dumbfounded.
I tell myself, I don’t want to continue living like this, it certainly feels like living a nightmare every single day, non skipped. It is like watching horror movies non stop past 30 years.
I am emotionally completely drained, psychologically “dead”if you know what I mean, socially cut off, physically tired. The only thing going is that I still trust in the Father of heaven, Son, the Christ Jesus, and great Comforter Holy Spirit, although I have no comfort.
I have prayed and asked why I am born to suffer this way for so long, it would have been better that I have not been born.
I don’t know how much longer I can go on living like this but if this is what He wants, then so be it.
This is not about positive thinking, this is not about trying to believe on nice things in life, this is not about whatever you believe will happen to you garbage “genie” fake faith. It’s about living that which is God’s will no matter what it may turn out to be.
I don’t like it, I hate it with all my life, but if it is what He wants for reasons I cannot seem to understand, I yield to Him to whatever end as long as it’s not devil’s will, not my will,but only the Father’s will.
Sigh..
Sorry to hear about your suffering. WD for keeping your faith, it’s not easy.
Hyeon Me too. 100% The more I give (to God, who needs nothing, and to others, who want everything and more) the more God “takes.” At least, that’s how it “feels.” I can’t tell you how sick I am of “feelings,” period. In my younger years I came to believe that you “got” what you ” put out there.”
Ah. The nefarious “out there.” Stir in a little New Age trash, a spicy dash of Self-Worth (ha!) and just enough bible-knowledge God-talk to make my mind my own worst enemy. Okay, now — stand back! — because sometimes the bones of your pain ground down to dust *explode* when mixed with the aforementioned ingredients (and that kinda’ blast can delete eyebrows, eyelashes *and* any rim-hanging nose hair too).
So, after you’ve been cleanly singed (shouldn’t it be “sinjed?” I mean, *really*! No wonder English and grammar and punctuation have been obliterated by FB and “tweets.” Sheesh. I captioned a picture about “tweets.” Let me know if it’s okay to give you a pic — I create graphic art. The pic is 100% “G” rated — and very sweet.
Anway … where did I go? One second I’m on a thought track, the next, my train has jumped and I’m in the weeds, dragging ya’ll with me. Sorry. I digressed.
My point was … *is*
(focus focus focus)
Life mostly sucks and we (me, you, people … well, maybe just me), I start to wonder did I EVER have a good time? Ever ..?
Yes, I did. Very good times. Not lately. But God is still good. The hard times are much longer-lasting thought, in memory and in real-time (I *hate* that term. All time is *real,* isn’t it?).
Hyeon, I am in pain all of the time too. That’s how I know time is as real as it gets. If you were to snatch me out of this body right now and bring the *old* me — the one *before* the pain — and drop *her* into this body, from back then to right here, right now, the old me, the one I thought was “strong,” she’d leap out of this chair like she’d been doused in gas and lit and high-tail it for the door of her cheesy, bum-rent hotel room where she is waiting for God, and like a rabbit, eyes closed tight, she’d dart right out onto the highway where the big rigs blast by, day and night, dragging poor dead trees by the hundreds ….
Yeah. Those poor trees, right? LOL (I try to keep my Pity Parties short.)
Still, think about it, Hyeon: trees are alive, yeah? They are alive and yet they can’t move. Not even when they see those men and chainsaws coming. Trees are also said to “communicate” with one another via their roots. They say forests are, in fact, entire communities of root systems. There are forests we see — trees, leaves, trunks, branches — and forests we *don’t see,” the ones underground, and that is where real tree-life happens. The trees not only “can’t get out of the way,” my friend, they *know* what is happening to the *other* trees around them. Like watching someone take a chainsaw to someone you know and love maybe ..? {{shudder}}
Sorry. I just never know where those thought trains are gonna go till I ride ’em. ADHD? Maybe. I have to say, I do get sick of me, but I almost never bore me. <– ha ha. that's a joke … I'm just not sure which part.
So, I guess what I'm trying to say
("GET TO IT!" Hyeon shouts.)
*Fine.* I huff. (Except I'd smile to myself.)
Okay. Here it is, my own little gem: At least we can walk and talk. Huh? Even if we sometimes wish others couldn't. (Okay. That really *was* a joke. Honest.)
And now I'm gonna fill out the info, and hope I can submit this, because, well, you just never know what God's gonna "allow" you to do when you're waiting on Him (feeling like your skin is being peeled off, inch by inch … then, The Salt Treatment). Just kidding.
Buck up! I tell myself. And now I am telling you, Hyeon. Jesus is coming! We're almost Home. Our redemption draws nigh. More nigh every day. And oh the gifts we'll get, worth every tear!!! I will meet you under the tree with the healing leaves, Hyeon, we'll swap sad sack tales and try to remember how bad we felt but we won't be *able* to really "remember" why! Won't that be exceptionally cool?
See, I think me and you and fellow sufferers are getting to "know" God in these dark tunnels. I mean, as much as any little-mind can "know" such a LARGE God. Which is like … well, probably like a bug reading Shakespeare … would he need special glasses, you think, or just really, really tiny books?). So far, we know God is beautiful, wonderful and also terribly terribly frightening … but so *loving.* WE are the broken ones. When I can remember that, it's easier to trust, even when I hate God's Wonderful Plan For My Life.
Peace — and sorry for such a wordy comment. Loved your article, BTW. Thank you!
I’m so tired of hearing the crap that goes on! You just said that God’s plans for us are not always good, that contradicts Jeremiah 29:11 Plans for God and not destruction! Really, so we have to die to receive! Wow, everyday I wish I had never been born! LOVE truly sucks, and I’m tired of hearing it! I know what the bible says, God tells us to ask, John 15:7, but everybody tries to justify and make excuses for God about his word. Somehow I still have to trust God and be convicted in HIS word and promises! Believe me I’m tired! Tired of humans trying to justify everything that God has allowed for his Glory, God is suppose to be a God of Love. Please don’t respond with justification or excuses, logic or anything else, because the only one that can pull me out of this crappy mood and attitude is God himself. For us to say that God does what he wants, when he wants, how he wants, shows a God who is selfish!
Jeremiah 29 is not a universal promise. It was a promise made to the Jews who were about to endure 70 years of exile in Babylon. But hey, I hear you. I really do.
I agree Angelique. God has been specifically outlined as one who gives you the desires of your hearts, and these people these days literally worship, demand, even punish deviants to – following exclusively a lazy, selfish, evil, cunning, careless, loveless waste of space. They glorify illogic, and justify hell without question or demand for answers, nor religious commitment to making life better or pleading the case of the helpless. They even guilt and overwhelm people who choose to believe in a God who punishes evil, and guides sparingly the righteous; they reject, quarrel, and distract from any sensible energetic demand for justice, balance, and love. Even Jesus said a woman who harasses a judge in the face of injustice is justified to be fully restored, and that God endures our suffering the same, obligated to heal and fight for us. Then teaching a God who never punishes evil, restores, or holds true to miracles and blessings is literally Satanism. I reject it.
Finally, someone is willing to speak the truth instead of giving false hope! For many years, I have been waiting for these “good plans” of God to start and I’m already half-way through my life. Tonight I sat down and sobbed and told myself “I think I’ve fooled myself / allowed myself to be fooled – I don’t believe these good things are ever going to happen to me”. (Things I hoped for for years and years). As Christians, we are often slated by other Christians when we are sad about something, or are not bouncing around “on top of everything”, or even if we are just doing our best to just “plod along the best I can” which is what I do now most of the time. I think it’s a strong thing to be able to plod along, let the tears out sometimes, and be honest about where we are at in life! God has kept me going, plodding along, and if that’s all I can hope for the rest of my life, I’d rather that than have false hopes of things that are simply NEVER going to happen to me….! Just scraping by is sometimes the best we can hope for, if we suffer with depression! I’m sick of false hope and lies.
While your article bares “some” truth about our loving king merciful God Yahweh (Jehovah)…you NEVER ONCE mentioned Satan, the devil, the enemy of our soul. God gets blame for a lot that He the majority of the time has NOTHING to do with. Your article to me…has no encouragement for “here”…on this side…B4 heaven… at all.I am a Teacher/ Pastor and no I’m not one of those name it claim it ones…but I’m not a sad sack either. There’s balance in our relationship with Christ. We have to always remember…there is a REAL DEVIL who wants us to forget about him and he wants us to blame God for all our disappointments. I believe in backing up every thing I teach FROM the Word of God WITH the Word of God. So for those reading this let me say…don’t bring God or His Word down to your level of “life’s experiences”…rise up with the help of the Holy Spirit to God’s Word…yes it’s possible. I promise you will see our loving God in a whole new way and thru the heart if MUCH joy and love. It’s about a relationship with Him we have with Him not religion or a denomination. I can say much more but I’ll you with these SCRIPTURES:
John 10:10 Yahshua (Jesus) said, ” the enemy (devil) comes to steal kill to destroy but Yahshua came to give you LIFE AND LIFE ABUNDANTLY.
3 John 2 Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in good health, even as your soul prospers.
Mark 11:22-24 22 Jesus replied, “Have faith in God [constantly]. 23 I assure you and most solemnly say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea!’ and [a]does not doubt in his heart [in God’s unlimited power], but believes that what he says is going to take place, it will be done for him [in accordance with God’s will]. 24 For this reason I am telling you, whatever things you ask for in prayer [in accordance with God’s will], believe [with confident trust] that you have received them, and they will be given to you.:Footnotes:
Mark 11:23 Jesus used this moment to emphasize to the disciples that a person’s confident, abiding faith combined with God’s power can produce absolutely amazing results, if the request is in harmony with God’s will. God is fully capable of doing that which man regards as impossible.
This needed to be said.
Gawn who the hell do you think made Satan and the Devil and any other negative entity . It was God and why did he do it . Cause he wanted them to do what they do . Or it would not happen ….
Yahshua (Jesus) told us tribulations hard times would be…BUT….
JOHN 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but BE OF GOOD CHEER; I HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD.
WE HAVE THE VICTORY ALREADY.:
1 John 5:4
For everyone born of God is victorious and overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has conquered and overcome the world—our [continuing, persistent] faith [in Jesus the Son of God.
BLESSINGS ❤️️
Thank you.
I love this. Thank you!
if you had a mind and you can be like God. create your ways and your Gifts. For example, if you know that Heaven will give you all those things that you seek. then you know where to find it. In a secret imaginative and wonderful mind. Your mind is worth a trillion dollars, you can create this when you get to the other dimension or world. This world is only limitful.by its physical means
Well said and truthfull.I got so tired of being told this statement that I quit attending Churches or having anything to do with Christianity as a whole…I still believe in God and that Christ is the saviour to us but I also see that Christianity now is more or less the pulpit of Satan and these statements that God has a wonderfull plan or that He wants to help us in our troubles or fix our lives are nothing more than Satans deception to destroy Christian faith from within the Churches which are supposed to be our refuge but are actually a weapon formed against us.Mainstream Christianity has no connection to the Bible,its all buisinesss now .Ive attended alot of Christian chuches trying to find one that actually teaches something out of the Bible but the latest “Christian authors “seem to take more status than the Bible so personally I feel that anything to do with Christianity should be avoided like the plague and one should simply buy a Bible ,read it study it and find out what it means to them personally rather that being told what “Christianity ” is
I’m confused I’m not going to say I’ve cheated death several times but there are several Times I should’ve been dead car wrecks snakebit.but made it through mostly unhurt .I’m broke and always have been I’m happy as long as I can get by most of the time that’s a struggle. I don’t care I deal with it .you may want to know both of my parents have passed both do to illness I deal with that I’m satisfied that they are in a better place. Now yesterday I was on my 3 wheeler on a country road I was doing fifty miles an hour a car that I absolutely didn’t see was coming from my right side doing sixty or so.I hit the car at the back wheel just as I seen it i flew 80 feet or so was knocked out only for a few seconds when I got back to my feet the impact spun the car 180 degrees that’s a hard hit right well no helmet no protective gear whatsoever and I walk away with soft tissue damage in my left knee.lucky I don’t think so my sisters say what I’ve heard anytime something like this has happened my mom used to say it to”God has a purpose for you” .let me be honest I’m really not a godly person never have been. Yes I do believe in God however things like this have happened to me many times I basically walk away. I don’t understand what “Purpose “. I’m a humble man I don’t need much ask for even less.how is it possible for me to “Walk Away”on so many different occasions and completely different circumstances. I’m confused and now sleepless like I’m not doing maybe what I should be.So I’m going to humbly ask for advice or help.Don’t get me wrong I don’t want to die but I’m not afraid either. I’m also not superman I mean I can’t fly or anything although that would be really cool.Thanks
Shane
Shane Parker, God loves you and wants you to come back to Him *before* one of these “accidents” kills you. Once you are dead, you cannot make a commitment to Jesus. So make your commitment, declare you believe that Jesus came to die for your sins, that he was buried and rose again and that he is Lord of your life. God will do the rest — but you have work to do too. Read your bible, ask God for help. God has been trying to get your attention. I love how hard hard He’s been calling you … don’t you? Peace. 🙂
People confused being optimistic with having faith/ They confused it with yes thing can be worst but life is still crappy. I love God i believe in God. People seem to think if things aren’t always going well its because you’ve done something wrong not the case. God’s has given me several opportunity to make my life better but due to family’s issues i always turned them down. Now they seem to get upset when i tell them nothing amazing going to happen. Just because you believe in God and h Worship him things will work out. I even pointed out biblical that not the case what He’s talking about is the after life. Too many people are confused about this. The other thing they seem to think you don’t have to do anything in life to make things happen not the case. You need to work hard to get things done.
Sorry for rant just glad im not the only one that thinks this way
I mean I struggle with Anxiety and Depression and it makes life pretty much suck, but the Lord has giving us things to deal with our suffering. Like peace and joy. We’re not promised not to suffer, but the Lord gave us access to some handy things here ON EARTH to combat those things. JS
Thanks, really liked reading all of this, very refreshing, honesty from the heart is sweet fruit! Thank you all!
If there was a button somewhere on earth where I could push it and stop existing forever , i would tax every resource I have to its limit to find it and push it. I obey God because I have to. I do not argue wirh God when he says he is good , he can kill me and torture me in this life however he sees fit as he fit. Whatever he does is good because he says so. But thay doesnr mean its beneficial to my well being here. But who can argue wirh someone with unlimited power. No, you just have to endure the pain. You get it from God, you get it from Satan, you get it from the world. But there is no meaningful relief for many if we honest. Even those who cry out are left with only some vague hope for some eternal life way down the road.
HIldafunk’s World – I too am in pain, every day, 24/7, sometimes more pain, sometimes less, but always pain. Mentally, I have pain *about* my pain, because the physical pain has ripped my life to shreds. BUT … God will bring you exceptionally close if you call to him in pain. He will comfort and hold you in a very real way — I mean it feels quite physical (and mental and spiritual as well). There is nothing “vague” or “imaginary” about the comfort God offers. Do you ask for comfort? For love? For relief? Very often, God will give relief if you just ask (assuming, of course, that you are “right” with God — if not, humble yourself and ask for forgiveness first, then ask for relief). Also, there are the “testing” times. These are the times God is silent — a good teacher doesn’t stand over you and shout as you take a test. Do your best to surf the pain wave, ride over it, not under it. There is a gift of suffering that is quite biblical (we are all called to suffer, to “pick up our crosses and follow”). I don’t like this “gift” either, LOL. God spoke to my heart (regarding my pain) and let me know that it keeps me close to him, that he wants me to stay close to him and that he knows exactly what this pain does and is doing to me. I think maybe he is telling you the same thing ..? God is calling to you using pain, “Get closer,” he says, “closer …. ” I know it’s really difficult to trust OR “get closer” when you’re in pain. Even so, you have to trust he has a reason (I don’t like this part either! LOL). Ask for Jesus to help you. Ask him for relief and hope and comfort and **lean in closer to God.** Pray, pray, pray.
I’m sorry for your pain, my friend — but there IS hope and real, present relief! “Ask and you shall receive.” Peace — and godspeed on your journey. The next world will be pain free and AWESOME! 🙂
What would you suggest we say to people who are going through difficulties, and who need encouragement?
Sometimes a hug and an ‘I’m praying for you’ don’t seem like enough.
Your title seems to contradict what is stated in Jeremiah 29:11. Article very discouraging.
It is the truth and the only way to view this world. Jesus NEVER said life here would be wonderful. God’s plans for us are for the future, in heaven. Life down here sometimes just has to be endured knowing this is not all there is. This article is what will really help people, not prosperity teachers who claim all will be wonderful when it isn’t.
I think we try to measure “wonderful life” by what we see others have. The main reason for wonderful life is because its Gods plan and not ours. We fight so hard trying to make ourselves something we want to but forget what God wants us to be.
A lot of people feel the need to find a reason behind a tragedy or situation…the fact that a reason may not exist or not make sense is an excellent reminder that God knows the reason! He is God and we are not. Humans will never understand the thinking of God…if we did we wouldn’t need him.
Thank you so much for writing this. You helped me so much during about the worst time of my life.
“Learn to be okay with that.”
If we could, we would already be doing that ant not waiting for someone to suggest it.
As Christian’s we have to start asking to see the objective evidence for conclusions drawn.God does care about our well being and the cross provides ample evidence of that. The healings that Jesus performed also shows we was willing to do something about the suffering here and now. The fact that God made us in his image and placed the seed of eternal life into us is powerful evidence that he is an awesome God. The problem I suspect is that we do not understand that Earth is a waystation a training ground of sorts. The real prize is the metamorphosis that take place when the caterpillar called man dies in the flesh and the spirit or butterfly takes flight. Make certain that your butterfly is heaven bound. The connections with God are too weak everyone needs a prayer closet and needs to pray and fast and draw close to God, talk then patiently wait and he will answer