When God Doesn’t Do What We Want

Hello Hump Day readers … today I want to share something that we all experience and sometimes it hurts to think that God isn’t doing what we think is the most necessary for us. Or to put it in a sentence where I know I’ve blurted out loud to God “why are you not doing what I want?” I know that sounds silly and childish but we all get caught in this don’t we? We just can’t understand that God has something better for us or we don’t like the idea that God doesn’t agree with us.

If you go back to James and John in the New Testament, we can see ourselves in the mirror with the words [Mark 10:35-37 MSG] of these two Zealots when they spoke to Jesus saying,

“Teacher, we have something we want you to do for us.”
[Jesus replied] “What is it? I’ll see what I can do.”
“Arrange it,” they said, “so that we will be awarded the
highest places of honor in your glory—
one of us at your right, the other at your left.”

How bold we may say, but isn’t that often our response as well? We want God to do what we want because we know God is all-powerful, God’s promises are true, so what reason would God have to not want to bless us? After all, we are God’s children and God loves us deeply.

Yet we forget that God knows the past, the present, and the future and how our loves will play out; where we know little of it all, especially the future. We just think that right now, our future will be better if God aligns with our plans, our wants and what we think we need.

Life interrupts us with cancer, accidents, broken relationships, and the ultimate hurt—death itself. We pray for health, reconciliation, and anything to mend this hurt but God seems to not agree with our prayers and wants and we all admit, that hurts. Imagine the thousands of families who lost their loved ones at 9/11 – the shout “God, this is not want I wanted” can still be heard and felt. Some folks had their faith challenged wondering where God was in all of this devastation.

We all look for answers when God doesn’t take our “coin and spit out the candy bar” we want. And I think that is where we are stuck…is God our true heavenly father/mother, provider, creator, or do we often treat God like the vending machine where we insert coin and get a Snickers bar. I know this sounds trite but it really does describe us when we can’t have our own way and get what we want.

My black Lab, Inky, is an integral part of Al’s and my life. He loves us unconditionally and we believe he is indeed a blessing from God. This week I take him in for one more test that either tells us he has osteoporosis or osteosarcoma…I am trying not to hold my breath even now! My prayers ask God that he doesn’t have bone cancer, and yet I realize that the outcome could be just that. My heart sinks even thinking about that, and my prayers become more fervent.

When my mom contacted us years ago with my dad having cancer, and then 14 years ago when mom called to tell us she had cancer … you get what I’m saying, out comes the prayers, in goes “the coin in the God-vending machine” certain that God will take away these illnesses and all will be fine. That didn’t work, I struggled with God a lot, and like Jacob, finally had to wrestle until God broke my stubbornness, my tears welled up and then dried up and in time I realized God was in charge not to harm, not to dismiss me, but his plans were beyond my thoughts because God has much better plans for us than our own.

It’s hard to grasp that, isn’t it? But I have learned when I do, I actually find contentment and a deeper trust in the God who has created me and saved me because of his great love. And yes, when something comes along one more time I have to go through it all again and God is there, knowing I’m mad that we don’t agree on what I want, and yet loves me and pulls me into his healing grace and mercy.

I have friends and family who, when God doesn’t do what they want, have left their faith in the dust, deciding to trust in something else and they are still wandering and wondering what that ‘something else’ should be. I see them taking matters into their own hands trusting their judgment instead of God’s. The rabbit hole gets deeper and they don’t get better or any happier in life.

Proverbs 19:21 [MSG] has always been a reminder when I’m upset with God, “We humans keep brainstorming options and plans, but God’s purpose prevails.” As confused as I can be, this verse somehow confirms that God has better outcomes in my travails than I do so I have to patient and trust God. It isn’t easy but God also gives us the strength to do it!

Author of Settle My Soul, Ruth Schwenk said it best: 
“When God doesn’t do what we want,
He is doing something better.

Now that’s advice we can all take to heart!