How absolutely hilarious is this?! Sometimes, it is really all in your interpretation of something!! This seems to be a running theme in my life right now. Whether I’m scrolling through social media, participating in the launch team for a friend’s book, listening to sermons, or talking with my parents, God seems to be telling me that Christians often get the right message, but the wrong interpretation. We are told there is a Big Foot but we weren’t literally thinking of a big, foot.
Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.
Proverbs 19:21
This happens frequently in our lives. We have an idea of what God is wanting us to do. He gives us a vision or an idea, but the execution in no way looks like what we had envisioned. Our plan to get there was not what God had in mind. I think of Raleigh Sadler (in his book “Vulnerable”) who knew God wanted him to help those who were vulnerable. However, he never envisioned that getting to the point of doing that meant that he had to be vulnerable too. That he would have to risk his emotions and push his boundaries in order to be able to really help.
Or maybe it is that God wants us to work toward a goal. We figure out what that goal is, only for God to tell us that we misinterpreted. Jesus himself is an example of this! How many Jews, including his disciples, thought that restoring God’s kingdom was about Jesus raising an army and establishing an earthly kingdom? That was definitely not what God had in mind! Restoring his kingdom, yes, but not the way everyone interpreted that.
So what is the takeaway here? Are we just aimlessly running around with no way to know what God wants of us?
Of course not! God reveals things to us in the time that is right. Our difficulty is that we see and experience things with our humanness. God is infinite in knowledge and wisdom. He sees the past, present, and future. So what he sees often doesn’t get interpreted right by us.
The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.
Proverbs 16:9
So how do we keep our learning curve as small as possible? We focus on God and what he is telling us. Our mind stays open to change and our willingness stays pliable to what God wants. The Bible tells us that God will give us wisdom if we just ask for it. He may not give us every detail in the future, but he will always give us enough to get through the next step.
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.
James 1:5
Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”
James 4:15
To many people, this type of behavior may look erratic and won’t make sense. We may even seem a little flighty as we don’t have all the answers or the whole plan. God is not worried with any of that. He wants you focused on him. Do that, and he will take care of the rest.
- Has God given you a goal, mission, or vision?
- If you know the Holy Spirit gave it to you, are you struggling to accomplish it?
- If so, reflect on the things that seem to be causing the struggle. Pray about those things. Ask God to reveal to you if you need to change your interpretation of the assignment.
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