Schemes and Ventures

(Via Ali Davies)

   It is said that God laughs at our plans.

   Is that true? After all, each of us have faced a wealth of disappointments in our lives, some of which have been more severe than others. Is the failure of our dreams due to the capricious leveling of a deity who, like the Greek gods, is jealous of too much happiness? If so, what is the point of setting goals and attempting to build legacies?

   In our last post, we peered briefly into the beautiful book of Ecclesiastes during our search for answers. We discovered that all of life, including its seeming futilities, dead ends, and failures, is marching unswervingly towards the glorious end of making all things beautiful (Ecclesiastes 3:11). We found that trust in God and His eternal purposes allows us to both enjoy our present blessings and transcend our present hardships. With this in mind, we can be certain that our failures and disappointments are not at the whim of a cruel god, but rather are part of the master plan of the one true God.

   Now, though, it is time to begin the move from theory to application. As encouraging as our new perspective is, we still need to know how to proceed with our lives. The question that remains is this: Since God controls the final outcome anyway, should we bother making plans or should we simply take what comes to us?

   The glad truth is that Ecclesiastes provides us with an answer to this question, as well. Though informed by simple principles, it is not a simplistic solution. It is, however, as holistic and balanced as we would expect divine wisdom to be. That answer urges a mindset of simultaneous diligence, forethought, and resilience.

   An example of the above attitude can be found in chapter 11. Here we are told to "In the morning sow your seed, and at evening withhold not your hand, for you do not know which will prosper, this or that, or whether both will be good" (v. 6). Many of us are not farmers, so we will not literally be sowing in multiple fields. We can, however, glean the message that it is wise to diversify our efforts, since we do not know which works God will advance and which He will turn aside. We are called to plan ahead for eventualities, while at the same time we are to accept the fact that, in His perfect will, God will choose which of our ventures will succeed and which will fail.

   Let's quickly bring it all together: In this grand adventure of life, we can be confident that God will use both our triumphs and our defeats to bring about ultimate beauty. Therefore, let us be both driven and flexible. Let's dream and scheme and work hard, but let's not prize our goals so much that we are devastated if we don't actualize them. Rather, let's recognize that surprises and curveballs are equally part of God's plan, and His plan is the best. (Besides, where would be the fun in a life that could be predicted and charted to the last detail?) Let's have confidence in God's pilotage during turbulence as well as during calmer currents. Finally, let's remember to enjoy the blessings that God gives us each day.

   Work hard, take risks, and have fun.

Ciao!