I once heard someone say, “Want to make God laugh? Just tell Him your plans.”
Growing up, I had big plans to be…a professional basketball player. I wanted to “be like Mike”. So, I would spend countless hours shooting hoops in our driveway. All by myself for hours. I mean hours. Rain or shine. Ice or snow. And I’d pretend to sink the game winning shot for the National Championship. I’d juke an imaginary player with a spin move and knock down a 25-footer from downtown to win another championship for the Buckeyes. The basketball court was my sanctuary. My special place. It was where my dreams took shape. My Mom would call out for dinner and I wouldn’t leave the court until I’d made 10 game-winning shots in a row. In my mind, I was well on my way to living my dream…
Until it happened…
I was playing guard on my 7th grade basketball team. Suddenly, my left knee gives out completely. I go in for surgery to repair torn cartilage. A few months go by, and I notice my knee still isn’t right. I go in for surgery again to drain fluid and bone fragments. A year later, I notice my leg is crooked. My Mom and I travel to Boston for a special surgery to try to straighten out my leg. And I will never forget waking up from that surgery as a young 9th grade boy. “I’m sorry young man, but you won’t be able to play competitive basketball ever again.” The doctor’s words hit me like a ton of bricks. It was a lot to handle as a young man struggling to find his identity. I was devastated. Depressed. Shocked. In denial. Confused. My world as I knew it came crashing down in one, singular moment.
We’ve all had those experiences, right? Those moments, whether in the midst of them or in retrospect we say, “I was never the same after that.” On average, they say humans have 4 or 5 life events that truly change them. These circumstances, positive or negative, have the potential to impact faith for good or bad. The potential to grow or slow our confidence in God. We have a choice with how we respond.
Now, I think this is where we Christians can go wrong. Many of us, when something significant happens, we try really hard to explain why it happened. And we put words in God’s mouth and attempt to justify God’s actions and take Him off the hook. Yes, God works all things for the good of those who love Him. Yes, everything has redemptive value and is under the control and sovereignty of God. Yes, many moments are teachable moments to reflect on what God is doing.
But our faith in God shouldn’t be dependent on our ability to interpret our circumstances correctly. If we’re not careful, our trying to “figure Him out” can replace our trusting His heart. In a situation we didn’t choose, we try to control it by explaining it. That’s a lot of pressure. That’s a huge responsibility we weren’t created to bear. No wonder we get burnt out and drained as Christians. No wonder many believers become lukewarm and apathetic when all of a sudden God doesn’t line up exactly with how they perceived Him to be.
This is circumstantial faith.
We believe based on what we see, what we hear, and based on what we see people around us do. Maybe we are taught that God will always protect us, or that if we do this, this, and this—then this will happen. Problem is: Circumstantial faith is very, very fragile. Because there is a randomness to life and seemingly to God. Even if we follow our Christian formula of going to church and tithing and eating right and exercising etc., circumstances still happen. And we are not very good at interpreting circumstances anyway are we? We think that since I didn’t get my job, God must not love me!
Sometimes God puts us right where we need to be but we become impatient with His plan. You see, our time frames are never long enough to allow God’s faithfulness to fit our expectations. We go by our watch and He goes by His master calendar. We don’t want to give Him time to reveal His master plan. We jump to conclusions about who He is and what He is doing before His perfect plan is able to unfold.
But should we trust our ever-changing circumstances, or His never-changing character? You see, when our identity is in His character not our circumstances, we are subject to Christ not to crisis. The only airtight faith is one that believes in the airtight, never changing love of Christ.
Circumstances change. Christ doesn’t.
Circumstances grow us. Christ grounds us.
Circumstances refine us. Christ defines us.
Circumstances come and go. Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
So may we make plans, but may we entrust them to God. May we live life with open hands and never hold things too close to our chest. May we realize what we have is actually not ours. That our life is indeed in His hands. May we make ourselves available to God, always. May we see ourselves as vessels and instruments and ambassadors and jars of clay. May we be ready. May we be ready for change. May we believe in a God who is about our character, our faith, and His Glory more than He is our happiness. May we never settle for mediocrity and lukewarmness and status quo. May we be always moving and dreaming and wondering and imagining and growing and learning and engaging and pursuing and reaching.
In the midst of change may we trust the One who never changes.
Jesus.