“Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit’— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that’” (James 4:13-15 ESV).
I am an obsessive planner. I like to have things in order and make to-do lists (which I then ignore as life takes over). I’ve struggled for a long time attempting to be in control of my life. I remember when I graduated from college, I did not know where I would work but I knew that “I would never work for a non-profit.” Why? Because I wanted to make money! So of course, all of my full time jobs have been for non-profits. It seems like whenever I say “I would never ______,” that at some point I end up doing that very thing.
“The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps” (Proverbs 16:9 ESV). My life certainly hasn’t taken the path I thought it would. Are there decisions I regret, yes of course, but overall the trend has been positive. I am inspired by looking back to times in my life where I can clearly see the hand of God at work. There is a reason that God desired the Israelites to recount the story of the exodus from Egypt. We need to remind ourselves often, even daily, of His guiding presence. None of us knows what tomorrow will bring, but God does. As Christians we should remember to trust God. We may not end up where we thought but if we follow His plan for our lives we will look back and say, “I wouldn’t do it any differently.”
My husband is searching for a job where he can use his new degree. Many of his interviews are with company recruiters; however, he doesn’t know what company they represent until the interview. From the beginning he said, “I would never want to work for a pharmaceutical company.” His most recent interview turned out to be for a company that makes drugs for cancer treatment, and he has since changed his mind. I told him it was dangerous to say “I would never” because we then stunt the effectiveness of the Holy Spirit’s guidance.
Be careful not to close the door of opportunity before it even opens! “In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths” (Proverbs 3:6 ESV).
Bonus: I’ve also said I would never get a dog… time will tell…