God Has No Plan

This post will undoubtedly upset some of you reading this. If you are, I will apologize in advance. With that said, I think this post has some merit that should be considered.

I’ve heard it said that “God has a plan for you”, or something to that extent. I think this is an incorrect, albeit, easy and common way to explain the hardships, we as his children experience during our lifetimes. It is difficult to answer questions as to the “why” in life. As in “He or she is such a good person, how or why did this horrible thing happen to them.” It is here I hear the answer, “it’s all in God’s plan.” I must disagree.

God doesn’t have a plan for our lives. This time between our birth and our death. God may very well know what is in store for us here. But that’s not the same as making a plan. One reason I don’t believe that God plans out our lives is that our lives are filled with hardship. God, and as our parents, don’t wish hardships on us. Also, I do not believe that God tests our faith through our hardships, although through our hardships our faith is lessened or strengthened.

There is something important about having us go through the process of life. There is something important about making the decisions, big and small, that make our lives what they are. I do not believe that God micro-manages our lives. God is not controlling our every step along the way. If this were true then we would be little more than robots, with no free will. God does not have a plan for us, but God didn’t leave us completely to our own accord either. God did give us a guide. Three in fact.

God gave us this guide to support us as we make our decisions, big and small, every day in our lives. This guide is the root of our faith. It is the root of almost every faith. This guide is called Faith, Hope, and Love.

Love, especially in the New Testament, is translated from the Latin word “agape” and this is where we get our word for “charity.” I have written in some of my other posts that our relationship with God is, as is, our relationship with each other. That every sin against humanity is a sin against God. And the simplest form of charity is kindness.

Faith, each of us understand our Faith in our unique way. Simply, Faith is offered to us by the Grace God to accept or reject, freely. It is through study, prayer and our life experiences we make our decisions. Our Faith may vary in depth, becoming weaker or stronger as we grow and mature.

Hope. It is Hope, in my opinion, that gives us the driving force to face tomorrow. It is persons without Hope that have no will to continue. All those with the gift of hope can face all the tomorrow’s that are in our time of life.

Whether your Hope is rooted on a Faith or is just something you feel welling up inside, it is Hope that that gets us through each day. No matter if it’s the best or worst of times. It is Hope that keeps us moving forward. It is Hope that gives us courage. It is Hope that allows us to expand our world beyond the confides of our physical and intellectual present.

It is Hope, not a plan, which God gives us. Faith and Love complete the balance in our lives. And it is truly our lives to live. And it is by the gifts of God that we are able to live it.

May God’s gift of Hope be with you always.

David E. Gonzales

Charity, Society’s Glue

Charity is the true bond, the glue, which holds our society together. Charity brings us together personally, in community, and in Nation. It is through personal acts of charity that our lives take on meaning. It is through personal acts of charity our society thrives.

Governments do not engage in acts of charity. They are at best, exercising their bureaucratic muscles. “They” take without asking, and give discriminately, while bragging about “their” accomplishments. These are soulless attempts at assisting others while having no clear objective nor provide an end to those on such assistance. They provide no physical, emotional, psychological, or financial freedom. Just a never ending cycle of poverty and dependency. Those who make it out of such environments usually do so by breaking away from these “assistances”.

This is why independent organizations, especially the Church, are necessary for a healthy society. Charity is the command of God, the command of Christ. (*Mark, 12; 29-31) It is through acts of charity that we live in a relationship with Christ (**Matt, 25; 34-40). This is how we live as Christians. Without regard to the Faith, lifestyle, ethnic or nationality of those in need.           (***Gal. 3; 28)

It is this interaction of people, for people, by people, that brings us together as a people. It is this kind of interaction that reduces public tensions. People helping people to become independent and whole, helps to bring people into a society of helping others. As governments become increasingly engaged as a charitable entity, society as a whole suffers at an increasing rate. The poor stay poor, longer. The rich become increasingly rich, giving of one’s self becomes archaic. As the government grows, the individual, and society, becomes increasingly apathetic, perhaps even callous in nature. The attitude then becomes something like “Just go ahead and take some taxes, and leave me alone”, “I don’t want to be bothered with “those” people” “that’s what my taxes are for, I have my own life to live.” Life becomes me and mine.

The cause of this separation of the people is the result of good intentions, poorly performed. We all have our gifts in life. For some of us these gifts are artistic, for others it’s the ability to connect with others on a personal level. For others still, it may be organizational skills, or perhaps to work in a team environment. All these can and should be used to help others in the form of charity. Charity, to give without the expectation of a return. This goes against much of what we are taught in our lives.

As we grow and develop in life we are taught to work hard, save and reap the benefits of our labors, and that’s OK. Works/acts of charity are something generally learned. Whether at home or in a religious setting, how to be charitable in a responsible manner, takes time to develop, not for all of us but for many to be sure.

Regardless if you volunteer on the occasion to help in your church or community, or if you are an ardent supporter of a special cause. Engaging in acts of charity is an essential part of both the individual and the society to create and maintain healthy attitudes toward one another. To be able to understand each other as a person, as a people and grow together in a common goal of peace and unity.

            To truly become a world united in respect, we cannot force, we must offer our assistance in charity, love, community, faith, in a very real and human way. It is in this way we, all as children of God, can live and grow in the peace we all wish to achieve.

May the peace and love of Christ be with you always-

Related article: http://daedgo.blogspot.com/2014/01/1-corinthians-13-adaptation.html

All Scripture is from the NABRE

*Mark, 12; 29-31- Jesus replied, the first is this: Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.

**Matt, 25; 34-40 – Then the king will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.' Then the righteous will answer him and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?' And the king will say to them in reply, 'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.'

***Gal. 3; 28 – There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

by David E. Gonzales

Love/Charity: A Different Perspective

Our Love looks up to God,

We find God’s love is first waiting for us,

Without an expectation of return,

But instead with Hope.

We accept this Love,

Then we turn this love inward,

And Love ourselves as well.

Artist Unknown

We then turn that love outward to others,

Without an expectation of return.

This is Charity.

Mark, 12; 29-31

            Jesus replied,

the first is this: Hear, O Israel!

The Lord our God is Lord alone!

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,

with all your soul,

with all your mind,

and with all your strength.

The second is this:

You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

There is no other commandment greater than these.

By David E. Gonzales

Scripture from the NABRE