The Right Question

Today I attended the Global Leadership Summit for the second time. The first time was prior to Covid and everything that has happened over the past few years. My friend invited me, and I have good memories of the last time I went, so I decided to go.

The Global Leadership Summit is seen every year by three hundred thousand people in one hundred and twenty countries around the world. It's taped in Chicago and then streamed to host locations over the globe. It's a big deal. While it's billed as an event open to all, the speakers are typically Christian and frequently mention their Christian faith and how it ties into their leadership. They even open in prayer.

One of the speakers today shared a story that made me roll my eyes a little. He told us about a business venture he was putting forward that looked as though it was going to stall. He prayed to God, saying, "I've done everything I can, now it's in Your hands." The next day it went through, and he praised God for "making it happen".

I thought, "Did He, though?"

Did God really intervene in his business dealings? Does God care about building a manufacturing plant or advancing technology? Does God care about our business or financial success?

I'm not sure.

God made a lot of promises to the Jewish people, like this one: "If you will earnestly heed the commandments which I command you this day... then will I favor your land with rain at the proper season... so that you will have ample harvest of grain and wine and oil" (Deut 11). This implies their blessings were tied to faith and obedience.

There are no indications, however, that these promises extend to us. They were part of the covenant God held with the Jewish people. In the New Testament, the writers speak of a new covenant, signed by the blood of Jesus. There are blessings and rewards for faith and obedience in the new covenant, too, but overall, they are eternal rewards, not earthly, tangible ones.

Which is why, as I've noted before, God doesn't owe us squat. The question we have for God should never be, what are you going to do for me? Because He's already done everything.

It's nice to say when things go the way we want them to that God "blessed" us or God made a miracle happen. (I have also noted before that a lot of what we call "blessing" is more related to "privilege" - especially if we are white in America.)

But then, how do we account for times when things do not go our way? Does that mean God "cursed" us or withheld a blessing? No, instead we say, "It must have been God's will."

Could it be, though, that things are less orchestrated than we would like to believe? We do live after all in a world of natural order, of actions and consequences, where the sun rises and the rain falls on the righteous and unrighteous alike (Matt 5:45). 

One of the most quoted verses of the Bible is Jeremiah 29:11. It is commonly seen on signs and posters in churches and Christian homes. There have been entire books written on this verse. People get it tattooed on themselves and claim it as their life verse.

It says, "For I know the thoughts I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope."

Many take this to mean that God has our lives planned out for us, and we merely have to "walk in His plan". Leading Christians to ask God, what is Your plan for me?

Many theologians, however, argue that this verse is taken out of context. This verse is part of a letter written by Jeremiah to the Jewish exiles in Babylon. It's God's promise to them that they won't be exiled forever. It wasn’t meant to be an overarching promise to every believer ever.

Regardless of potential theological issues, it does make one wonder… does God have a plan for every detail of my life? Can I step out of His plan? What if I lose my way? There’s a Facebook meme which says, we should not think we are strong enough to ruin God's plans. But since He gives us free will and we all mess up A LOT... Doesn't that mean if God has a plan, it IS possible for us to not walk in it? Unless, God's plan is for us to sin and fall away and hurt others and get hurt... which doesn't make sense, either.

But, does God really have a specific plan for our lives? Does that plan include who to marry, where to live, what profession to go into, how many kids we'll have, etc? Does it include business ventures and political decisions and how we invest our money?

Or, is God's plan more general: that we believe in Him and in His Son, that we follow His commands to love Him and love our neighbor, that we grow as disciples and walk in His ways. Maybe the rest, are just details. Things that might matter a lot here on Earth, but not so much in eternity.

If it's not obvious, I'm leaning towards the latter.

Repeatedly over the last few years, I’ve found myself asking God not what is your plan for me?, but, what do you want from me? There are so many competing voices vying to answer that question. The conservatives say it’s about living moral, pure lives, and, apparently, making sure everyone - believers or nonbelievers - follows the same morals as we do. The liberals say it’s about social justice and action and righting wrongs and accepting all, even if their morals or beliefs are contradictory to ours.

What if it’s both?

What if it’s neither?

What if it's somewhere in between?

As I was sitting in the Global Leadership Summit today, it occurred to me that maybe the reason the answer to my question has been so unclear is because, all this time, I’ve been asking the wrong question.

Maybe the question is not about what God wants from me, but what God wants to do through me.

One of the other speakers noted how we often get in our own way because we are "structured for failure". We don't believe we are good enough, or have enough to share, or are able to achieve those big dreams in our hearts, so we settle for ordinary. We settle for small. We settle.

We get in our own way.

Is it possible, we also get in God's way?

We refuse to believe He could use us or that we have anything of value to offer, and so we... don't.

I’ve struggled a lot with this. Sometimes writers call it, "imposter syndrome". I don't believe what I have to say will be of value to others. Or, I don't believe people will listen. So, I'm shy with what I say and write... and no one listens, and my belief is affirmed. But... the itch to say it, the desire to be heard, the passion festering beneath the surface... it's still there.

And I don't know what to do with that.

Hence the question, what do you want from me?

I’ve mentioned how I completely believe that often people don’t get the miracle they are praying for because other Christians don’t act and follow God's direction to intervene.

What else might we be missing out on?

What might I be missing out on?

Perhaps I need to start by asking the right question.