Are we holding on to our own ability to plan and make good decisions, or are we holding on to God?

As a kid, I loved the board game “Game of Life” – but I think it gave me very unrealistic expectations about what life would really be like. In this game, you can either be risky and go straight to a job, or go the college path and be guaranteed a better job. Then you randomly pick your job, salary, house, etc and you’re set for life. A pretty straightforward path, right? 

BUT…real life doesn’t always go the way we want. All of us can plan and dream and even work to accomplish goals, but we’ve all found this to be true: things don’t always happen as expected.

Planning is not wrong, but trusting in God often means loosening our grip on our plans and trusting Him…even when it looks like we’re in the midst of failure. We can get so worked up about our future, our dreams, our careers, and our kids that it can feel paralyzing. But ultimately, Jesus is calling us into a peace and confidence in His finished work on the cross and the purpose that He has created us for.

Our security cannot be found in our plans; it can only be found in our Savior.

If there was anyone in the Bible who didn’t have their life go as planned, it was Joseph. He was his father’s favorite child, but then he was thrown in a pit and sold into slavery by his brothers. He got promoted to be the servant to one of the king’s head men, but then he was wrongly accused of assault and thrown into prison. He stayed there until the king needed someone to interpret his dreams, and another former inmate remembered Joseph was able to do just that. Impressed, the king appointed him second in command. Joseph was then able to save his nation, and the very family who betrayed him, from the effects of a terrible famine. Joseph experienced the highest of highs, lowest of lows, and everything in between. And if we center on one point of his life, it’s incredible to see how Joseph was able to trust in God’s grace and plan for his life!

Genesis 45:1-11
“Joseph could stand it no longer. There were many people in the room, and he said to his attendants, ‘Out, all of you!’ So he was alone with his brothers when he told them who he was. Then he broke down and wept. He wept so loudly the Egyptians could hear him, and word of it quickly carried to Pharaoh’s palace. ‘I am Joseph!’ he said to his brothers. ‘Is my father still alive?’ But his brothers were speechless! They were stunned to realize that Joseph was standing there in front of them. ‘Please, come closer,’ he said to them. So they came closer. And he said again, ‘I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into slavery in Egypt. But don’t be upset, and don’t be angry with yourselves for selling me to this place. It was God who sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives.'”

That verse right there is bold, y’all. I hope and pray I have that kind of faith. He’s not even bitter at all—he’s telling them not to be mad at themselves!

“This famine that has ravaged the land for two years will last five more years, and there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. God has sent me ahead of you to keep you and your families alive and to preserve many survivors. So it was God who sent me here, not you! And he is the one who made me an adviser to Pharaoh—the manager of his entire palace and the governor of all Egypt. Now hurry back to my father and tell him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says: God has made me master over all the land of Egypt. So come down to me immediately! 10 You can live in the region of Goshen, where you can be near me with all your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and everything you own. I will take care of you there, for there are still five years of famine ahead of us. Otherwise you, your household, and all your animals will starve.’”            

Can you imagine what Joseph must have been feeling? He didn’t even know if his dad, who loved him so much, was dead or alive. Our lives might not be as crazy, tragic, and epic as Joseph’s, but each and every one of us knows what it’s like to experience high highs and low lows.

But Joseph trusted in God’s plan because he experienced God’s goodness. His story challenges us to ask this question: Are we holding on to our own ability to plan and make good decisions, or are we holding on to God?

When we focus on Christ’s sacrifice and His plan for our lives, we can loosen our grip on what’s holding us back, and our hands are left wide open for what God has for us. God is glorified when we trust Him – so we don’t have to have it all figured out. That’s not on your shoulders, it’s on God’s – and His shoulders are more than strong enough to carry that burden!

2 Corinthians 12 tells us to boast in our weaknesses, because God’s power is made perfect in weakness. So whether you’re in the highest of highs or the lowest of lows, you can loosen your grip. You can trust him. In your strength and your weakness, He still loves you and will still use you.

Your purpose is not your job. It’s not success. It’s not the physical things you are doing.

It’s using your gifts, talents, and opportunities to glorify, enjoy, and serve God, just like Joseph did – whether you’re at the bottom of the pit or in the king’s court.