“Don’t worry, God has a plan.”

Christians say that a lot, and we should! When people are hurting, disappointed, or confused, “God has a plan,” is a true and comforting promise. It’s just that when we say it, we mostly associate “God’s plan” with future, unknown circumstances. If someone is grieving a breakup, we say, “God has a plan,” when we really mean, “You’ll find your person one day!” That may be true, but is that THE PLAN God has for someone’s life?

Paul assured the Colossian Christians that God’s plan has already been made clear, and it’s entirely independent from circumstances.

“God has given me the responsibility of serving his church by proclaiming his entire message to you. This message was kept secret for centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to God’s people. For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory” (Colossians 1:25-27).

What’s the plan? The plan is that Jesus is alive, and he lives inside you, meaning nothing – loss, breakup, pain, disappointment, failure, even death itself – can take him away from you.

It’s easy to forget how sufficient and shocking God’s plan is. If we had been one of the few Jesus followers who witnessed his execution, we would have thought it was the worst possible dead-end scenario. Because of God’s plan, though, we now know that we would have been looking at the greatest thing God has ever done.

When we endure difficult times, we may believe that nothing good can come out of them, but we trust a God whose plan was fulfilled in the worst of times. God is involved in the details, so he cares about our hurts, disappointments, breakups, and loss. Sometimes, he even works spectacular miracles through them. Still, no matter what happens in those circumstances, God’s plan is working, and it’s enough. Jesus rose from the dead. He’s alive in us, and we have assurance of sharing his glory that will never be taken away.

So, “Don’t worry. God has a plan.” And it’s really good.

Questions for reflection:

  1. When is it most difficult to trust God’s plan?
  2. How do you navigate troubling times? How can we, as Christians, help others navigate theirs?