Not Where, but Who

Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. –James 4:15-16

I hate it when people ask me questions about the future. People often ask me, “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?” Or, “How long do you see yourself living here in Lincoln?” Of course the worst and most frequent question of all is, “So when are you going to have kids anyway?” I would love to tell you that I hate these questions because we’re just trusting Jesus to guide us and we don’t ever worry about the answers to them. I suppose that would be the Sunday school answer. Perhaps we do live that out to a certain degree. But the real reason that I hate them is because there is a certain part of me that thinks that I do have it all figured out, and I’d love to give my answer based on my plan. And it isn’t even that it is a completely pagan plan. However, it is me trying to discern how God will lead, rather than me simply being faithful.

James says, “As it is, you boast and brag.” When we think we have God’s plan cornered, that is really what we are doing. When we share with others the lofty plans that we have, we are often encouraged and celebrated as people with great plans, rather than rebuked as people who aren’t leaving enough room for God to work. Kristen and I were at a conference this past year where they introduced a boy who was around 8 years old who knew every presidential fact that you could ever imagine. It was his dream to be the President of the United States—and he had it all figured out how he was going to get there. In fact, his plan had him landing in the White House at a ripe old age of 35! Everyone in the arena clapped for him and celebrated his plan. Now, I hate to be the sour puss here, but really? Do we really want a 35 year old president? Shouldn’t someone have the guts to say to this young man, “Hey, don’t you think you should wait until you are at least 45 or so and have a little more wisdom?” Now granted, I know you are thinking, “Easy, Dustin. The kid is not even 10! Give him a break!” I understand that, but the problem is not the kid, but the culture that we have created.

I have mentioned before that I am not against planning. In fact, I am very much in favor of wise planning, so long as it is made by people who are seeking after God’s heart and is open to his continued leading. But here is a challenge for you: rather than planning where you are going to be or what your career will look like in 5 years, wouldn’t it be a better investment of your time to discern who you would like to be in 5 years? You know, how you would like to deepen your walk with God, how your character would be better, how you’d treat your spouse differently?

More importantly than where we are is who we are. I don’t know where God will send you, but I can promise you this: whenever and wherever he sends you, he wants you to be like Jesus.