God's Plan is Better

Kristen M. Soley

God’s Providence

One of life’s most valuable lessons is that God’s plan is better than ours; always. 

'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11 NASB)

God’s plan, His Divine Will, is better; whether we like it or not.

Have you planned a vacation that simply did not work out?  Having left no cushion in your schedule, have you found yourself delayed by a train or a school bus?  Likely, uttering the words, “I did not allocate time for this!”  Have you ever lost a substantial sum of money through investment or theft?  Have you lost a loved one as a result of illness?  If you have, believe it or not, you are blessed enough to say that God loves you enough to show Himself to you in His Providence.   

Providence stems from the Latin word providentia, meaning "foresight, precaution, foreknowledge.” ¹ According to Miriam Webster, Providence is “Divine guidance or care”, or “God conceived as the power sustaining and guiding human destiny.”   God’s providence can be enjoyed through peace and prosperity.  It can also be endured through suffering and loss.

God’s plan, even when it does not reconcile with ours, is what He deems best for our soul.  Perhaps God shielded you from a sickness by cancelling your vacation.  Consider that God protected you from a fatal car accident that would have occurred had you not been delayed by the train or school bus.  Perhaps if you had too much money, you would no longer rely on God’s grace to sustain you, thinking that money is enough.   It is likely through the suffering of a deceased loved one, he or she was drawn closer to God throughout their trials, or perhaps their love of Lord was powerful enough to draw souls to God, through their brave suffering. 

In the book, Trustful Surrender to Divine Providence, St. Claude De La Colombeire teaches:

“It is then a truth of our faith that God is responsible for all the happenings we complain of in the world and, furthermore, we cannot doubt that all the misfortunes God sends us have a very useful purpose… It is usually the case that other people can see better than we can ourselves what is good for us. It would be foolish to think that we can see better than God Himself who is not subject to any of the passions that blind us, knows the future and can foresee all events and the consequences for every action… In our ignorance of what the future holds, how can we be so bold as to question what comes about by God’s permission? "

We cannot go it alone

Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.   For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:29-30 NASB)

We all like to plan; it is a necessity in maintaining a level of order in our lives; particularly if we are managing a family.  Unfortunately, our planning can cause us to lose our reliance on God, relying solely on ourselves.  This is a mistake, which can oftentimes have painful consequences.   God can send a host of reminders that we need Him, sickness, loss of money, etc.   Jesus teaches in Matthew 11:30, “My yoke is easy and my burden light. “ A yoke holds two animals together to do the work, not one.  We cannot do it alone, we need Jesus, and in turn, Jesus cannot do it without us; He needs our consent and cooperation. 

The Three S’s in God’s Plan (His Will)

How do we learn to accept and find peace in God’s Plan, His Divine Will?  There are three S’s that can help us slowly change our way of thinking which will transform our relationship with God and bring a level of peace to our lives, no matter the circumstances we are handed.

Surrender - There is great opportunity in opening ourselves up to God’s plan.  When we lovingly accept His Divine Will over ours, we allow Him to sanctify us, to make us holy; more like Him.  He cannot do this unless we surrender our will to Him.   Fight as we may, and sometimes it can be kicking and screaming, God asks us to trust in Him, His plan, completely.  

Again, the book Trustful Surrender to Divine Providence articulates this well:

“God is faithful, says the Apostle…, since through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God in the steps of the redeemer, who said of Himself,’ Did not the Christ have to suffer all these things before entering into His Glory.’ If you refused to accept these tribulations you would be acting against your best interest. You are like a block of marble in the hands of the sculptor. The sculptor musts chip, hew and smooth it to make it into a statue that is a work of art. God wishes to make us the living image of Himself. All we need to think of is to keep still in His hands while He works on us, and we can rest assured that the chisel will never strike the slightest blow that is not needed for His purposes and our sanctification; for, as St. Paul says, the will of God is your sanctification.”

 

 

Simplicity - When we surrender ourselves to God’s plan, His Divine Will, we will grow in holiness and enjoy simplicity.   We will be able look at a change in plans, a sickness, even a death, and trust that this would not have happened if it were not ordained by God and intended for our sanctification.  When we look at these changes through the lens of a loving Father who wants nothing more than to be with us for all eternity, it becomes easier to surrender.  

In Volume I by Anne the Lay Apostle, Jesus asks us to trust Him, “…Trust me in small things…  Little by little you will develop a habit of trusting Me in all things.  You will then be free to cast your mind into your day.”

Invariably, our lives will become less complex when we trust that God’s plan is better than ours.  Sudden changes will no longer throw us off track.  We will simply accept the change and follow the new path placed before us.

As St. Therese, the Little Flower illustrates:

“Our Lord needs from us neither great deeds nor profound thoughts; neither intelligence nor talents. He cherishes simplicity… Jesus, help me to simplify my life by learning what you want me to be - and becoming that person."

Spoiled – Finally, with this surrender and simplicity, God is able to spoil us, and He will spoil us rotten.  He is able to do great things within our soul, when He is given sovereignty.  His graces will flow like water in and through us and everything we do will have a deeper and more meaningful purpose, as it is ordained by Him and all for His glory.

In Summary

God’s plan is better!  His Divine Will should reign within us.  Remember, He is God, we are not.   He knows what is best for us.  He has a plan for us and it is perfect. 

In lieu of becoming anxious or upset about God’s alterations to our plans, we need only first find Him in the change.  Next we need to surrender our will to His, trusting that He is God, understanding that His plan is better and borne of love, and then simply move forward, with Him, in peace.  Finally, when we have surrendered our will, we enable Him to simplify our lives, and in turn, spoil us rotten!

A great morning prayer to help us in accepting God’s plan over ours is as follows:

Dear Lord, I do not know what will happen to me today.
I only know that nothing will happen that was not foreseen by You,
And directed to my greater good from all eternity.
I adore Your holy and unfathomable plans

And submit to them with all my heart for love of You,
The Pope, and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Amen.

A bit of wisdom from Woody Allen, “If you want to make God laugh, tell Him about your plans.” 

All for

+JMJ+

 

Sources:

1 - etymonline.com