When God Ruins Your Plans

Guiding Scripture: Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails. (Proverbs 19:21)

At some point in your life, God will ruin your plans. Here’s why:

1. He has His own plans for us (Jeremiah 29:11).
2. His plans are better than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9).
3. He wants us to trust Him even when we don’t understand (Proverbs 3:5-6).

When God ruins your plans, you have two choices: You can either fight God and hang onto your plan, or let go and embrace His.

How God ruined my plans:

1. I planned to become an attorney, but God led me to change my career track during my senior year of college.  
2. I planned to pursue a career before starting a family, but God sent my husband to me in high school, which led to me getting married and having children at a young age.
3. I planned to be comfortable financially, but God allowed my husband and me to struggle with money for many years.
4. One of my biggest struggles has been that I planned to work in a traditional 9-to-5 job, but God called me to become a stay-at-home/work-at-home mom.

Key Point: Your ruined plans will often be someone else’s dream life. That doesn’t make them any less ruined for you.

3 things to do when God ruins your plans: 

1. Feel your feelings and take them to God. You’re human, and it’s okay to be disappointed.
2. Next, ask God why He ruined your plans and what He wants you to learn from it.
3. Be obedient and make a new plan with God’s help.

Once you've decided to lay down your plans and accept God's, it's important for you to find accountability partners to keep you on track. You will be tempted to go back to your old plans because they’re comfortable and familiar.

Action Step: Get honest with God in prayer about the ways you feel He’s ruined your life. Begin doing the hard work to wrestle with your issues, whatever they are. This will take time. It doesn’t happen overnight.