...and Please Show Me the Way

This is what the LORD says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. 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. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back from captivity.  I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”
Jeremiah 29:10-14

If you have attended an American church for any significant length of time, you have likely heard or seen part of this Scripture quoted.

"...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..."

The obvious question, to me at least, is; does this verse apply to me?  In the book of Jeremiah, this Scripture has a clearly intended audience, the people of Israel who had been exiled to Babylon.

Something that I, and I assume many other Christians struggle with is finding purpose.

"What is God's will for my life?"

"God, please show me Your plan."

I know people who take God's plan so seriously that they are unwilling to make even the simplest decisions without God's direction.  Personally, I think that God trusts me to decide what to order at Jack-in-the-Box without a clear sign from Him.  However many Christians go to the opposite extreme.  We live lives that are nearly indistinguishable from our unsaved friends and neighbors.  We might not cuss quite as often as they do.  Maybe we don't drink beer.  Other than that the attitude is something like "I will live my life the best way I know how and God will bless me".

Neither of these seems like the right approach to me.  God gave me a brain; I believe he expects me to use it.  I don't want to be so dependent on a sign from God that I am frozen without one, but I know from experience that if I live my life according to what I think is best, it will not turn out as well as I hope.

I have been trying to end each of my blog entries on a positive note.  I'm afraid that will not be the case today as I do not have the answer.  I do not know how to strike a balance between depending on God's direction and using the brain God has given me.  The best advice I can give is to continue striving to live the most moral lifestyle you know how to while continuing to pray that God will give you direction.  I welcome any comments or suggestions.

I'll close today's entry with Scripture.

Nevertheless, each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them, just as God has called them. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches.  Was a man already circumcised when he was called? He should not become uncircumcised. Was a man uncircumcised when he was called? He should not be circumcised. Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing. Keeping God’s commands is what counts. Each person should remain in the situation they were in when God called them.

Were you a slave when you were called? Don’t let it trouble you—although if you can gain your freedom, do so. For the one who was a slave when called to faith in the Lord is the Lord’s freed person; similarly, the one who was free when called is Christ’s slave. You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of human beings. Brothers and sisters, each person, as responsible to God, should remain in the situation they were in when God called them.
1 Corinthians 7:17-24