God’s plan for your life may be as simple as asking, or as complex as you make it.
Every now and then I read the local paper – You know, a hard copy. Even though the physical written word is going out of style, I still like to remember the good days when we were told to read the news, fact-check in the library, etc.
Sometimes they’ll be a giant half section dedicated to a dead person.
And, I say dead, because when it’s not someone you know, they’re “dead”, but when it’s someone you know they’re “deceased” or “no longer around” or some other flowery term.. Or, for those of you who believe in something after “in a better place”.
It always makes me realize, no matter how much wealth, success, friends, enemies, all of it, that they had — we all end up in the same place.
The dirt. Mere dust. Maybe some bones if we / our family had the funds to secure a burial site.
But nothing.
And I’m in the Jesus-believing camp, but it still makes you wonder right??
I think every waking hour practically about how to “improve my life”, “be happy”, “make more money”, “get a raise”, “do a side hustle”, “be more fit”, or whatever else is trending online, etc… And then in the end we’ll be LUCKY to be more than 1 line in a text 10 years from now.
Now this is all very nihilistic / existential but it makes me remember that there is only one entity that matters in the end, God.
So, here I am reading the Bible, judging every idiot / fool in there who went against God’s word. Thinking to myself “What a moron, doesn’t he know he shouldn’t see a medium?” (Saul).
Then I think, I am highly entertained by horoscopes.
Or, “Jeez, all they had to do was be generous and give part of their earnings to not die asap.” (Ananias and Sapphira)
Then I think, when is the last time I donated 10% of all I earned to God?
And here I am checking myself today:
“Well, it’s a Sabbath, I’m reading a book on how to make money.
Am I even any better???” or
“I’m scrolling social media endlessly… Not necessarily evil but what if there is some Noah-character out there I just left a comment and laughed at?”
Only time will tell or God will know, but imagine.
735 BC, 2700+ years ago, and they thought this same stuff…
Nothing is new under the sun (Solomon, perhaps the holy version of some billionaire today). And, someone in that time period thought they had it all.
They had the money, the fame, the fortune.
Why, in fact, I’m sure this guy Hoshea did.
He was a king of Israel for 9 years.
Heard of him? Not to be confused with Hosea (book of Hosea) or Hosanna (as in hosanna in the highest, which means save us in Hebrew), but King Hoshea.
There is a quick little blurb of him in the Old Testament but in some Bible summaries it’s just this:
“1In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, Hoshea son of Elah became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned nine years. 2He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, but not like the kings of Israel who preceded him.” – 2 Kings 17
Imagine, you’re just a line: “did evil in the eyes of the Lord” or “did good in the eyes of the Lord”.
Makes me think – well, shoot, I’ve spent ALLLLLL this time doing all these things for money, fame, love etc… And all that matters in the Bible (as we’re told, inspired by God), a book that’s about the wisest people on earth (and biggest fools), is whether or not you did what God wanted.
Also, makes me think – When is the last TRUE time I ever REALLY cared not just about what I wanted but what God wanted?
I do prayers like “God, Your will be done,” but I always have some sort of thought like:
“I’m asking God for His will but would be REALLY great if I [outcome here].”
Sample personal thoughts after praying “God, Your will be done”:
- That guy / gal gets fired (for making me miserable in my job)
- I don’t get fired (during layoff season)
- This client hires me
- I make it big
- He cures me of this ailment asap because I’m soft and do poorly sick
- That person gets what’s coming to them
- I get the promotion / raise
- etc…
A lot of “I”s in there…
And, of course, there are SO MANY blessings that He has given me, and I am a total ingrate (Jonah – who I also judged but realize I’m a total Jonah) or, have zero clue.
Anyhoo, where I’m going with this is:
- In the end you will be nothing more than the things you leave behind for people – Memories, maybe if you’re lucky some words you’ve written down, good feelings / people you’ve impacted along the way
- Only God’s opinion of you matters
- God wants you to honor Him (and for you Christians out there / considering – Jesus is the way to do this)
- Lucky for you, Jesus has already came because there is no way to Ace this test. And, good luck trying, especially with the internet sucking us in. What average person needs the devil when we can easily suck ourselves into the worldly nonsense?! (Tyler Lyle song “I can get in trouble on my own” – not a well known song, highly recommend)
- Only God can truly help you in your journey.
- – I need to cover this elsewhere but so many times I’ve googled / asked AI a question that only GOD can answer. Why don’t we just go to the source?
- If you’re lucky someone will remember you with 1 line – Will it be that you did good or evil in the eyes of the Lord?
- Note: There is always ways to redeem oneself here, that’s why Jesus came, and if you’re Jewish you can even notice (and probably know better than me) in the Bible that those who humbled themselves and ripped apart their clothes, God had mercy on.
TLDR to self: May be time for me to mourn / turn around on my own worldly-ways, put a sackcloth on my head, rip apart my clothes and really think more about the direction and where my mindset is.
For those who are the prayer type / thinking of Next Steps, a prayer below:
“God, please help direct me to the right next thing you’d like me to do.
Please remove roadblocks and make it incredibly clear for me to see and know what to do next / not to do. Please grant me Your wisdom and courage to move forward.
Thank you for all Your blessings and help me follow your ways and conquer any foolish worldly nonsense / pointless thoughts with ease and without issue.
[If Christian: In Jesus name,]
Amen”