Rev. Michael Cain of Mt. Olive UMC
One category on this blog is called “Ask A Pastor.” It is similar to a “Dear Abby” column. District young adults and others can send in issues and questions about life, marriages, work, etc. and a Pastor from our district will offer a thoughtful perspective on the issue from a Biblical point of view. Various pastors from The LaGrange District will be participating. Starting us off will be Rev. Michael Cain of Mt. Olive United Methodist Church in Newnan.
Dear Pastor, In creating my New Year’s Resolution for 2009, I thought about the many things I’d like to do, such as get in shape, think about getting a new job, etc. But, to what extent do I lay out my own plans and what I want to do versus what God may want me to do? Is it okay for me to make my own goals for the new year or do I wait for God strictly?
–From A LaGrange District Young Adult
Dear LaGrange District Young Adult, It is never okay to make my own goals for the New Year or at any point in time of my life. Every decision should be Holy Ghost lead and divinely inspired. One of my favorite scriptures is Proverbs 3:5-6. Solomon says, “Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not to your own understanding. In all of your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.” Every night I read this scripture to my son Cortlandt so he will know that he must trust God to direct his paths and this will keep him from a lot of heartaches, and it also teaches him to be dependent upon an all knowing and wise God.
I have learned from previous experiences when I made a decision on my own and did not consult with God, even in situations that may have seemed minor I failed and it caused not only me pain but those who love me too. God desires for us to be dependent upon Him and to not exclude Him out of our lives or decision making processes, after all the One who made us surely knows the plans for our lives. He told Jeremiah, “I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you, to give you a hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)
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