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Who's Plans Are Yours Anyway?
1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God— this is your spiritual act of worship.
2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is— his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Romans 12: 1-2
There is true freedom in these verses. It may not look so at first glance.
If you have been anything like me, setting yourself objectives to improve yourself only to be disappointed, then there is great freedom in these verses.
If, like me, you have been concerned because you expected another person to progress quicker than they have in something, or drop a bad habit but haven’t, then there is great freedom in these verses.
If someone has expressed their surprise or concern because they thought you were progressing well but found out that maybe you were not, then there is great freedom in these verses.
The concerns above are all valid if we are not in Christ. If we are not in Christ then we will have to try to progress on our own and according to plans we would formulate ourselves.
But here’s the good news. When we are in Christ, when we offer ourselves as living sacrifices, we do not need to be concerned about ours or anyone else’s progress because we do not tend to have access to the detailed plans and timescales that God has for us and others. Therefore, it becomes impossible for us to accurately measure progress because we do not have access to the yardsticks, milesones and plans. God has them. We will see fruit though (Galatians 5:22) which indicates growth. Our goal is to know God more and more.
Through us being living sacrifices to Him, clinging to Him, feeding on Him, relying on Him, He will transform us according to the unseen plans He has for us. We do not need to be concerned, surprised or frustrated any longer. We may be being concerned about something which is working out perfectly according to the plan God is tracking for us and potentially fall in danger of opposing His plan with our concern.
The perfect life is not one devoid of mistakes. It’s a life devoid of trying to be perfect and putting our assurance in Christ’s perfection and His perfect plan for us.
Very freeing.
Steve Harewood
WHO`S PLANS ARE YOURS ANYWAY?