Is Everything in Life Specifically Orchestrated by God?

Some people have a Magic Eight Ball perspective of God. 

If we get a parking spot, we "see God’s hand in it."

If we sign a lease for the apartment, God wants us to live there and not at the other place we were considering. 

If a wonderful neighbor moves in next door, God specifically singled them out and brought them there. 

If Fred gets fired from his job, and uses his time off from work to go on mission trips, then God wanted him to get fired so that the Lord’s work could proceed.

Is that always the case?

Is God up there, micro-managing our every move, closing and opening doors as if we were in a constantly reconfigured maze?

As I contemplated this, I went to Scripture to see how God’s directing of outcomes might work.

And I found, in numerous verses, the connection between our growing maturity in Christ—the turning away from sinful attitudes and motivations—and the directing of our steps:

“How blessed are those whose way is blameless,

Who walk in the law of the LORD.

How blessed are those who observe His testimonies,

Who seek Him with all their heart,

They also do no unrighteousness;

They walk in His ways.” Psalm 119:1-3

“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 1:3-8

So if Fred loses his job, isn’t it highly likely that it is his spiritual maturity that is allowing him to not be downcast but to instead find something positive to do while he is looking for another job or figuring out next steps? 

Isn’t his living out of 2 Peter what brought about his decision to go on a mission trip? And would Fred have been just as in the will of God if he had volunteered at a secular charity or if he had offered to babysit his grandchildren once a week?

Wouldn’t God have indeed been in all of those choices?

My point is, so many of us get fixated upon, and often stymied, by this idea of putting our finger on GOD’S ONE THING for us: be it that ONE spouse, that ONE city, that ONE ministry. The truth is, I don’t believe there is a ONE THING.

I do, however, believe there is personal sanctification that is always God’s will for us, with everything else in life flowing out of that.

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2

In 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 we are told to “test everything, hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.”

That verse continues on:

“Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it” (Thessalonians 5:23-24).

I have heard the above Thessalonians verses used in prayers for specific outcomes:

“Lord, send us the funds we need. You are calling us to this work, and we know you’ll do it.”

We need to comprehend what these verses are actually “calling” us to: not to a specific mission field, not to a mate, not to a church plant, not to passing the exam, but to God’s sanctification and to be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful to do that; that He surely will do!

See, if we miss this point and jump to the word “call” and the phrase “he will surely do it,” we may not pray for His call to our sanctification and to our need to keep ourselves intent on living out our spiritual maturity until the day of Christ.

In other words, I don’t believe God is as interested in what country we carry the Gospel to, or what Godly person we marry, or what Christian organization we serve with, as He is with our spirit, soul, mind and body becoming spiritually mature.

So if God directs, it is because a clear conscience and a blessed life comes about at God’s hand, but not with us as automatons, and not simply because we have confessed Christ as Savior.

It is because, as fully submitted believers to Christ (not to a church, not to a belief—but to Christ alone) we will then seek Him with all of our heart, with all of our mind, with all of our soul, and with all of our strength. And that seeking is for His righteousness, not for whether we should live in apartment A or B, or whether we found a parking spot just when we needed it.

copyright Barb Harwood