So thank you. I’m still young now..I’ve got another year to go until I graduate..and i feel the most content with the idea that even though I’m not certain of where I’m going (and at times I feel completely empty of any motivations or goals of my own–truly, not even knowing what I WANT to do with my own self)I can find security in allowing God to, as long as I live a life abiding in HIM, guide me every step of the way.

(I am reminded of that image of two sets of footprints in the sand…)

T

The point is that if God hasn’t specifically promised us something, we should not live as though he has. It’s idiotic. I know because I used to do it all the time.

FOR EXAMPLE

If God hasn’t promised you a spouse, it would be foolish to live as though he has. You will miss opportunities and be passive because “God has it covered” and will do it for you. The truth is that all men and women choose who they marry, and they all have standards. If you do not meet those standards, you will not get married save for a miracle.

If God hasn’t promised you a specific job, it would be foolish to live as though he has. You’ll miss job opportunities or work at less than 100% because “God has it covered”

If there isn’t a single thing you can point to in your life where God promised it, yet act like he has, you’re not only living like a fool, you’re putting words in God’s mouth … it’s pretty much lying. You’re actually calling your own thoughts and feelings the promises of God. Used to do this all the time.

God gave us minds to think with. To make decisions with. Bodies to do things with. The ability to make plans. The thing is, people are lazy. They don’t like to use their minds. They don’t like to put in the work to achieve something great. They don’t LIKE the idea that they are the ones that are truly responsible for how crappy (or amazing) their lives are. So what do they do? They put it all on God.

If God gave us so much freedom, so much power, so much ability, so much creativity, so much choice, so many options — only to not let us use any of it, then God is the greatest troll to ever exist. A cosmic joker. Life is the greatest trick ever played on man. A complete lie and contradiction.

“So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content.”

If God is a Donald-Miller-type-God — this divine baby sitter who is indifferent as to how we “paint” our “canvas” that is life — that’s a pretty sad reality. It is a reality that implies that I have no real purpose in life; and conversely, that if I want to have a real purpose, it’s something that *I* must unilaterally create for myself… all while divine-baby-sitter God sits upstairs watching TV, snacking on potato chips, and making sure that I keep my “crayons” on the “canvas.” It implies a God who is ambivalent to my deepest desires and hit-or-miss on His ability to actually do anything about providing/meeting them during my earthly life. That is not a reality that I am willing to accept, and I don’t think it’s based in scripture. For the record, I have *painted* my own canvas — I am an attorney — but I can look back and show you countless ways that God specifically, intentionally, and lovingly intervened, closed doors, protected, and guided me to get where I currently am… and, believe me, being an attorney *fits* who I am in a deep, deep way and I am excited to see how God will *intentionally* AND *specifically* continue to guide me and use me. Does he have other plans? Sure, but they are exactly that: PLANS. He plainly states that He will “instruct you and counsel you in the way in which you should go” (Psalm 32:8).

Are you, Don, really telling me that you don’t think God had anything to do with proactively directing your path to become a renowned author who inspires meaningful dialogue among Christians?

Do you believe that we are ultimately created for relationship with God? If so, what is that relationship supposed to look like? Is it really as hands-off as you purport it to be? Do you really not think that God has certain *tangible* things that he would like to accomplish in and through each one of us while we are on earth? I’m not saying that He was one specific plan (go to college X, marry wife Y, pursue career Z), but He certainly is a God who has planS for us and who, if we seek out those ways, will meet us, answer us, and respond with intentional guidance and direction. THAT is relationship. THAT is where intimacy is born. THAT reflects God’s love much more than does the divine-baby-sitter model.