God's Plan: Part 2----GPS

 

"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'"  

Jeremiah 29:11

I love to mess with my GPS.  I love to type in a destination and then take a totally different route.  I find humor in seeing it constantly say, “REROUTING.”  Then it recalculates a new route and I turn a different way again.  And again it will say, “REROUTING”.   Maybe I find it way too entertaining to make my GPS reroute, but I call it payback for all the times it laughed at me when it took me miles and miles out of my way.   It does bring me a strange amount of joy to frustrate my GPS.  Sometimes I think my GPS would say if it could, “Why are you even using me if you’re not going to listen to me?”  And then it hit me…don’t you think that God thinks the same thing about us?  And then God got me thinking just how many similarities there are between how we follow a GPS and how we follow God’s plan for our lives.  And then my brain just came alive and took off with this idea...so look out!

First of all, I believe that God has a plan for us right from the beginning.  He enters our "destination" into our life’s GPS and sets us on our path, and it is up to us to follow it.  Humor me, if you will, as I share with you a list of what I will call the "GPS Personality".  Read each of the 5 personalities below and see if any these hit home to you.    

What is your GPS Personality?

1.        The Truster—This GPS user types in a destination and follows every step.  This person has complete faith and trust and doesn’t even know or care if the GPS takes him/her out of his/her way.  This person will follow it whole-heartedly, and enjoy every minute of getting from point A to point B. 

2.       The Complainer---This GPS user types in the destination, follows every step but is dissatisfied with the way the GPS is taking him/her but just goes along with it and chooses to complain about it every step of the way.  This person will not be happy about any part of the trip. 

3.       The Controller---This GPS user types in the destination and doesn’t follow every step.  This person will try to take control and make random turns here and there trying to find a better way and cause the GPS device to constantly reroute.  This person may or may not end up at the original destination and has to be careful not to get lost.

4.       The Distracter---This GPS user types in the destination, and gets totally distracted by all the attractions and, in fact, will end up going to a completely different destination than what was intended. 

5.       The Give Upper---This GPS user will reluctantly type in the destination, and head off, but will most likely turn around and come back home especially if the route becomes too confusing.  In fact, this person may not even get in the car to begin with out of fear of getting lost and just decide to stay home.  

Now, humor me even more as I've connected the type of "GPS Personality" you are with how you may follow God and His plan for your life.  You may see yourself (like I did) in several categories especially during different seasons of your life.

Are you the Give Upper?  Do you let fear stop you from going anywhere?  Do you find it easier to just do nothing?  Do you have apathy about life in general?  This is a place that can lead to depression.  I lived with depression for several years, and I still battle with fear often.  I pray that you will be released from any fear or depression right now, In Jesus’ name, and start living and get moving.

Are you the Distracter?  Do you constantly fall into the temptations of the world?  Do you let satan lie to you and bring you down and take you down paths of destruction and constantly bully you away from God’s perfect plan for you?  This path is a scary pit.  I’ve been here.  Satan only wants to destroy us.  I pray for freedom from this and for complete focus as you make the choice to stay on God's path no matter what satan tells you. 

Are you the Controller?  Do you try to go your own way and not follow God’s plans?  Do you constantly take a new path and cause God to do nothing but “rerouting” for you over and over.  This is where I used to be and admittedly still fall into this category quite often.  I pray for you to release any need to be in control.  I promise that your life will change when you stop being so stubborn and controlling and just give everything to God.  It feels amazing to surrender to His will and be completely obedient to Him.  Try it.

Are you the Complainer?  Do you stick to God’s plan for your life but doubt it and complain about it? Do you do everything with an ungrateful heart and get angry at God for every bump in the road?  This is a dangerous place to live.  I’ve been here too.  It’s so ugly to be so negative.  You will never be happy as The Complainer and you will never fulfill God’s true purpose for your life.  I pray right now for a heart of gratefulness and an overwhelming sense of joy and happiness as you continue to follow God.

Are you the Truster?  Do you stick to God’s plans?  Do you follow Him no matter what?  Do you take his path with trust and faith and do it with a smile on your face because you know that God has it all in His hands---no matter where He takes you?  Even if it feels risky?  Even if it feels way out of your comfort zone?  Do you just completely trust Him?  This is where we should all strive to be!  I’m happy to say that I am more of the Truster today than I’ve ever been.  I’ve been the Give Upper, the Distractor, the Controller and the Complainer.  God doesn’t want any of those paths for us. 

So, what does God want for us?  How do we know that we are following God's path?  Well, it's so simple.  It doesn't matter what job we have or where we live or how much money we make or what we look like or if we're married or single or have kids or don't have kids.  We can follow God's plan anywhere and in any conditions!  I like to call it “God’s Plan Simplified”.  It’s the new GPS!  What is God's simple plan?  To be in a relationship with us!  It’s that simple.  Once we do that, His plan for us will unfold.  No matter what our circumstances are, our purpose will be made clear.  We can all follow that plan, right?  

-This week, I pray that we will have the faith to follow the new GPS.  With this upgrade, God will not only give us our route step by step, give us reminders when our turns are near, take us around the pits, the bumps, the twists, the turns, the difficulties and hardships along the way, but He will also constantly be rerouting for us no matter how many times we try to turn a different direction.  Plus, and, most importantly, with His plan, we get an amazing Father and Friend and Teacher and Guide to take us down the path He has chosen just for us.  Get the new GPS today!