Writer's World Wednesday - God Doesn't Care

This morning at the gym my friend and I were discussing "God's Plan for Your Life."  When she was a young Christian, she mentioned in a Sunday School class that she didn't think God cared if you bought the red car or the blue one.  She got jumped on, "God is interested in every aspect of your life," and "Of course you should pray about God's will for your car buying choices."  At the time, she felt that everyone else was right and she was wrong.

I'm sorry to say I would have been one of those who was jumping.  But over the years, God has drastically changed my mind.  Here are some things I don't think God really cares about:

1. What car you buy,
2. What college you go to,
3. What career you choose,
4. Who you marry.

Got you on that last one, didn't I?  You might even be tempted to slam your computer, Kindle, phone, or iPad (or whatever else you're reading this post on) against the wall and never listen to another thing I say.  Please resist that urge and see if, by the time I explain myself, you still feel that way.

I believe God cares who we ARE when we drive (particularly if we put a bumper sticker on our cars identifying us as a Christian).  I believe that God cares who we ARE at whatever college we go to.  I believe God cares who we ARE when we go to work.  And I believe God cares who we ARE to our spouse.

So, yes, God is interested in every aspect of our lives because who we ARE affects every aspect of our life.  But after that, we have tremendous freedom.  Do you want to buy the red car?  Does it fit your budget and current driving needs?  Then buy it!  Do you want to go to this college as opposed to that university?  Then go!  Do you want to be an architect instead of a missionary?  Great, then be the best architect you can be!  Do you want to marry Joe?  Then marry him, and be a wonderful wife.

God cares deeply about all the various aspects of our lives.  He gives us guiding principles.  In binding relationships (marriage, business), He says it's a bad idea to be unequally yoked.  He wants husbands to love their wives and wives to respect their husbands.  He wants Christians to be defined by how they serve and love others whether that's in marriage, at work, driving on the road, or in school.

We want to put the burden on God to guide us into the "right" career or "right" college or the "right" car because, once we get His blessing or figure out His "will for our life," then the onus is on God to smooth out our path and make the rest of it easy.  It's as though God now owes it to us because, after all, we did the hard work of figuring out "His will."  As for marriage, I think God is very concerned with who we marry in the general sense.  It defines much of who we will become in the future.  What I reject is that God has one person who is our perfect, "designed just for me" mate.  When marriage gets hard, we are tempted to say, "Well, this guy obviously wasn't God's will for me, so I'm outta here!" 

And here's one that's probably going to get me in even more trouble.  I think the "one for me" mentality is responsible for much of "divorce is the unpardonable sin" within the church.  But that's a subject for another day.

For now, I leave you with this thought.  If you BECOME the person God wants, your choices will take care of themselves.

Until next time,
Becca