Why You Can't Destroy God's Plan for Your Life

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When we’re born, God’s plan for us is like a newly constructed wall of a house. Envisioned and intricately designed to glorify Him long before we are conceived in the womb, His plan is strong, smooth, and completely clear of any dings, marks, or ridges. Like an unaltered wall, its beauty is defined by its simplicity, flawlessness, and indisputable purpose in life. And then… we mess it up. Our mistakes start immediately, if not innocently. After all, who can blame a three-year-old for not admiring such a blank canvas and believing that a red magic marker wouldn’t improve it in some way? But then, as we grow, the dents, dings, and marks appear everywhere, eventually leaving permanent scars deep into the studs behind the exterior veneer of the drywall. 

This analogy recently hit home with me as I thought about how much I will miss my house. My husband and I are in the process of relocating to another state, and it has been difficult to release some aspects of our current living situation. Although we have always tried to receive God’s blessings with open hands — as opposed to hanging on to them so tightly that they become more important than hanging onto Him — it is still difficult to think about moving on and opening our hearts to the next steps of His plan. It may sound silly or perhaps trivial, but there are two walls in my house I am really going to miss, each for different reasons. 

One wall is in our guest bedroom, which is covered floor to ceiling with reclaimed wood from the original 1930s camp that used to stand on our property. What makes it so beautiful are all the marks and scars of nature’s wrath, coupled with the visible reminders of a bygone era. The other wall is likewise remarkable because of its imperfections… and its surprising location. It’s in the bathroom across the hall. While I never would’ve imagined that I could both admire and miss a bathroom, I will miss this one because it reminds me of the beauty God can bring out of mistakes. Initially, the bathroom’s walls were intended to be plain and smooth. We had planned for the decorative highlight of the room to be the colorful tile in the shower. But due to some severe painting blunders, our plans for its appearance would either have to change or we would have to start all over with some copious amounts of sanding, spackling, sanding again, and then primer. But instead of trying to remove our mistakes, we opted to add a new layer of texture using a technique we learned years before to cover up a similar error in our previous house. As a result, more visitors in our home have admired and commented about our guest bath than our living room or kitchen. One of the smallest rooms in our house makes the most significant impression because of the unique beauty that arose out of the ashes of error. And it reminds me that when we yield the paintbrush to the superior Painter, any ding on our lives can be redeemed. 

While it may seem odd to find so much spiritual analogy from a bathroom wall of all things, it’s not the slightest bit strange to God. After all, who are we to Him? Psalm 113:4-8 says, "The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens! Who is like the Lord our God, who is seated on high, who looks far down on the heavens and the earth? He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with princes, with the princes of his people.” A bathroom might appear to be one of the lowliest rooms in your house second only to the closets, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t one of the most important. What we often see as the lowliest areas of our lives… the most unremarkable or even most tragic parts of our story, are the very canvases on which God intends to display His glory. 

As I think back on the original mistake, which led us to alter our plans for that wall, I can remember my utter discouragement. Time crunches and stress have a way of magnifying our regrets and the pain from our mistakes. Because we were building our home on a tight budget, we had opted to do all the interior painting ourselves. Our sweet friends flooded us with generosity, helping us do some painting and landscaping. Like an old fashioned barn raising, our house was only finished through the hard work and kindness of others, and none too soon considering members of our west coast family would be coming to visit in a few short weeks after the drywall was finished. So it was in a state of pressure that we realized our mistake and that the bathroom would have to be done all over again or redeemed in some other way. While it seems trivial now, I can remember feeling completely overwhelmed at the thought of re-doing the wall treatments in that room. At the time, I never could’ve realized how that mistake could be transformed not only into something uniquely beautiful, but also a treasured memory of God’s hand in our lives. 

All of this doesn’t mean that the new texture on the walls was perfect. In fact, its haphazard nature is what makes it so attractive and different from what most people would expect for a bathroom. Even more fun for me is that I can still recall where the mistakes are and immediately find the seams of the texture treatment. While the casual onlooker only notices the overall effect, I not only see but have also come to admire, the subtle remains of the work in progress. And this is often like the progression of God’s handiwork in our lives. We can still see the trail left behind by our tears or the scars remaining by our past sins, but God masterfully blends them into His plan to enhance its appeal so that others may view our lives and be drawn to Him. When He gives us a makeover or adds a new texture to our souls, He leaves behind evidence so we know the end result is for His glory and nothing that we can take credit for. Otherwise, we would all walk around displaying the arrogance of our accomplishments and the conceit of our own personal growth. 

The apostle Paul knew a great deal about God’s makeovers and texturizing skills. Before his encounter with the risen Christ, Paul had well-laid, highly practical plans in place for his life. Steeped in knowledge with the training and expertise to build a lucrative and successful career as a religious zealot with Roman citizenship, he had it made. His passions were endorsed by the religious elite, culturally accepted, and protected by the mighty Roman Empire. By today’s standards, he was on his way to the top in terms of power, prestige, and prosperity. And he loved his work. But God had a plan for Paul that would be implemented at any cost. No amount of alteration or expense would be spared. And although Paul had done everything possible — both unknowingly and intentionally — to thwart God’s purposes for His life, the love of Jesus was generous enough to come to the rescue. 

So many of us have made such serious mistakes in our lives that we think we’ve ruined God’s plan. We believe we’ve gone too far… one too many times. Deep in a pit of self-loathing, we look up and can’t see any sunlight. We know we deserve to be in the bottom of the pit, yet what we don’t see — or won’t allow ourselves to see — is the ladder out of it. Besides, we tell ourselves, if we did get out of this pit or find our way back from this ridiculous detour, people would see our stupidity, our sins, or our weaknesses all over us. We will be forever marred as fallen, or unlovable, or greedy, or whatever other dent or ding we left on God’s wall. Even worse, some of us have an affliction or flaw that will always be visible and might interfere with what others would expect us to achieve for God or to behave in a specific manner. But like the wall in my house, God always has a plan to use all of you. Not just a part of you. Not the most appealing aspect of your character. Not only your best skills or notable talents. He will use Every. Single. Part. 

Hear this truth from Titus 3:3-7, my fellow mistake-maker: “Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient. We were misled and became slaves to many lusts and pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy, and we hated each other. But, when God our Savior revealed His kindness and love, He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of His grace, he made us right in His sight and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.”

Despite all of the miraculous work, clearly administered by God and not Paul, the temptation to become proud of his transformation and subsequent accomplishments, lingered throughout Paul’s life. Here’s how he says it in the Message version of 2 Corinthians 12:6-12:
“If I had a mind to brag a little, I could probably do it without looking ridiculous, and I’d still be speaking plain truth all the way. But I’ll spare you. I don’t want anyone imagining me as anything other than the fool you’d encounter if you saw me on the street or heard me talk. Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn’t get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan’s angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn’t think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then He told me, My grace is enough; it’s all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness. Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ’s strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size — abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.” 

Our mistakes, sins, distractions, and misguided dreams may alter or delay God’s plans for our lives, but they can never destroy its existence. There’s nothing we can do to remove the Divine Architect’s design for our lives, which is built upon His unending love. Not our intentions. Not our skills, nor our strengths. No, scripture tells us it’s built upon our weaknesses. The path we end up on may not look like anything we thought it would be, but when we find our way back to Him… when we turn over our willful stubbornness and come to Him with a repentant heart, He will always take our messes and turn them into His glory. It may take a while. In fact, it may take a long time. It may be uncomfortable. Things might even seem to get worse before they get better. But Jesus whispers to our souls during the entire process. He promises to stay with us through the transformation. And He guarantees that His way is better than our own. Romans 8:37 assures us that we are more than conquerors — over anything — through the power of Jesus. 

One day, we will be flawless before our Savior. One day, everything that happens here will all be worth it. Open your heart to hear what Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 5:22-24: “Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. God will make this happen, for He who calls you is faithful.” We may not always be comfortable in the process of becoming holy, but we can always rest in God’s wisdom to take us down the right path, His promise to complete the work, and His abiding presence in the journey.  ​

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For Further Reflection and Daily Spiritual Journaling
The questions and readings below can be used for a single-day study or your daily quiet time throughout the week. This is a recent addition to the blog, so if you like having the questions and readings offered in this format, please let me know by commenting below or in social media.
Day 1 - Read Psalm 139:13-16 and Jeremiah 1:5 at least two times, slowly. Pray and ask God to speak to your heart about any area of your life where you are struggling with believing that He loves you regardless of your previous decisions and actions. Ask Him to reveal to you areas of unconfessed sin and what He wants you to do next. Re-read the scriptures one more time and then write down what you sense the Holy Spirit whispering to your heart.
Day 2 - Jesus asks us to be vessels for Him to work and shine through our lives. He doesn’t ask to do His work for Him… that’s the job of the Holy Spirit at work in us. Read Romans 8:26 and Philippians 4:13. Ask God to reveal to you any areas where you are trying do the work for Him, versus letting Him work through you. Write down any thoughts that come to you.
Day 3 - Read Romans 8:15 and then ask God in prayer to reveal to you any ways in which you are a slave to something and therefore preventing His plans from coming to fruition in your life. Write down your reflections.
Day 4 - Listen to the song Flawless by the band MercyMe or read the lyrics.  What do you need to surrender at the foot of the cross today? What do you finally need to lay down and walk away from knowing that God loves you, has forgiven you, and wants you to be free of? 
Day 5 - The book of Jude contains only 461 words, making it one of the shortest in the Bible, yet it closes with one of the most poignant and moving assurances of God’s redemptive work and our final destiny in Jesus. Read Jude 1:24-25 and then ask the Holy Spirit to come and assure you of the work God is doing in your life.

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