God’s Plan For Me: Amazing, Unending Goodness

In recent years, I’ve often found myself asking the question, “What is God’s plan for me?”

See, up until five years ago, I thought I knew God’s plan for me. I was going to be a pastor for my entire life. I had the next 30 years lined up, or so I thought.

But then God led me into a sharp left turn. Suddenly, I was no longer a pastor (very long story). I didn’t know what I was going to do next week, let alone in thirty years. To say that my plans were radically altered is a colossal understatement.

Today I’m working as a freelance writer, helping businesses create marketing materials. I desire to go back into ministry, but I don’t know if God will lead me there. It’s a big question mark in my life.

And so I often find myself saying, “How did I get here?” How did I end up at my current destination, which is so far from where I thought I’d be?

Again, what is God’s plan for me?

Thankfully, Scripture is not silent on this issue. In fact, it speaks directly to my questions and struggles and fears. The Bible tells me exactly what God has in store for me.

No, there’s not some secret code that tells me where I’ll be next year. It’s much bigger and better than that.

If you find yourself in my shoes, let this encourage you.

God’s Plan For Me Is To Always Do Good To Me

First and foremost, I know that God’s plan for me is to ALWAYS, always, always do good to me.

Romans 8:28 puts it gloriously: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

God is my good, loving, kind, gracious Father. His very character is good and everything he does for me is good. Everything that happens to me, every trial and every blessing, every joy and every struggle is for my good and God’s glory.

Psalm 84:11 puts it this way: “For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.”

Did you catch that? God doesn’t withhold ANY good thing from those who walk uprightly. Because I am in Christ, God will not withhold a single good thing from me. If something is good, he’ll give it to me. If it’s not good, then he’ll keep it from me.

This encourages me so much. God has not forgotten me. He is not neglecting me. He is not withholding blessings from me like some miserly Scrooge.

On the contrary, every day I experience new, fresh mercies and blessings from God.

Lamentations 3:22-23 puts it this way: “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

God’s plan for me is to constantly, always, never stop doing good to me. His plan is to keep pouring blessings out on me every single day without ceasing. His plan is to lead me beside still waters and into green pastures.

God Will Never Stop Making Me Like Jesus Christ

In addition to never ceasing to do good to me, God’s plan for me is also to never stop making me like Jesus.

In Philippians 1:6, Paul says, “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”

The ultimate purpose of my life is NOT to be in ministry or to achieve something for God. The ultimate purpose of my life is to glorify by God. God is achieving this ultimate purpose by consistently making me more and more like Jesus Christ.

In 2 Corinthians 3:18, we read, “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.”

The more I behold the glory of the Lord through prayer and the Word of God, the more I am transformed into the image of Jesus Christ. It doesn’t happen immediately or in massive leaps. But make no mistake, progress is happening. I am being made more like Jesus, one degree at a time.

I may not know where I am headed right now, but I do know where I’m ultimately headed. When Christ returns, I will be finally and fully made like Jesus. I will no longer be able to sin. I’ll love the Lord God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength.

Right now, I struggle with sin. I struggle to be like Jesus. But it won’t always be this way. A glorious day is coming when I will be the person I was born to be. When I will be like Jesus.

God’s plan for me hasn’t ground to a halt just because it’s different than I expected. The Lord is still at work in me, renewing me every day. As I pursue Jesus through every trial and blessing, I become more like him.

God’s Plan For Me Is Fruitfulness

Sometimes I can think that I’m not being fruitful because I’m not in ministry anymore. I can feel like I’m not doing much for the Lord because I’m not serving him vocationally.

But I know from Scripture that this isn’t true. God has promised that no matter what circumstances I find myself in, I will be spiritually fruitful. Not because of something special in me but because he himself will make me fruitful.

In John 15:5, we read, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”

As I abide in Jesus through prayer and the Scriptures, I will produce fruit. I don’t know exactly what that fruit will look like, but I most certainly will be fruitful for God.

Why does this encourage me so much?

Because so often I look at my life and don’t feel like I’m bearing much fruit. I get easily discouraged, feeling like I’m a bit of a failure for God. But clearly, this isn’t true, no matter what I feel.

It’s not true because God is the one who is at work in me. He is the one producing good fruit in me. He is the one helping me to work out my salvation with fear and trembling.

As it says in Philippians 2:12-13, “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”

Yes, I’m called to work hard for the Lord. To strive to be holy as the Lord is holy. But ultimately, my hope is not in my ability to produce good fruit. My hope is in the Lord, who has promised to make me fruitful for him.

I have not stopped being fruitful simply because I’m no longer in ministry. God’s plan for me is to keep being fruitful no matter where I find myself.

My Loving Father

Charles Spurgeon said:

God is too wise to be mistaken. God is too good to be unkind. And, when you can’t trace His hand, you can always trust His heart.

I may not be able to trace God’s hand, but I know that he’s good. I know that he loves me. I know that he’s my Father and has deep affection for me as his son.

He is too good to be unkind, too wise to be mistaken.

And so I will trust him. I may not know God’s plan for me, but I know that wherever he leads me, it will be good.