feeling guilty when I try to plan out my life, wondering if I should just put my plans in God’s hands.
I’m not sure I understand what “putting your plans in god’s hands” means specifically (I’m not very familiar with Christianity in practice, especially American protestantism which I assume is what you’re talking about), does it mean not thinking of long-term consequences of things? (not saving money? Not getting an education? Not using condoms?). Is it because planning is bad (because, dunno, it shows a lack of faith?), or just because it’s useless (because things will turn out differently?)?
To make matters worse, I grew up in a dysfunctional, very Christian family, and my emotions seem to be convinced that being a true Christian means acting like my parents (who were terrible role models; emulating them means losing at life).
Couldn’t you find role models that are Christian that you would consider as admirable? That would probably cause less mental anguish than ditching Christianity wholesale, and I get the impression that there are a lot of Christians with happy, stable and satisfying lives (or would having a suburban home, a stable 9-to-5 job and 2.5 children fall under “losing at life”?).
There was that time I read all of Jehovah’s Witnesses literature for fun, and one theme that was constantly repeated was that the sin of Adam and Eve was to seek self-mastery over their lives. Thus, the great question to be settled between God and Satan was: have humans the right to guide themselves, or do they need divine guidance? Of course, the JW position is that human choices are hopeless without God (that’s the reason why JW don’t participate in politics; they think humans making their own rules is a terrible sin).
So I suspect the idea of “putting my plans in God’s hands” may refer to a fear of usurping God’s authority by trying to be your own master.
“Putting my plans in God’s hands” actually has some background to it. When I graduated from high school, we prayed that it would be obvious where I should go to college. I got into Harvard, and no where else particularly prestigious; we took that as I sign that I was supposed to go there. I was absolutely miserable there, but stayed because I thought God would be furious if I left. I finally left anyway on the brink of suicide. Since “making my own plans”, I have gotten over the depression almost completely, but I still feel sometimes like I ought to be back there. You can see why I’m a bit nervous about letting God run my life!
I guess the idea is sold to people as “making your own decisions vs. obeying the almighty and allknowing God”, but in practice it is used as “making your own decisions vs. obeying your religious leaders”.
Verging a bit away from your question, but:
I’m not sure I understand what “putting your plans in god’s hands” means specifically (I’m not very familiar with Christianity in practice, especially American protestantism which I assume is what you’re talking about), does it mean not thinking of long-term consequences of things? (not saving money? Not getting an education? Not using condoms?). Is it because planning is bad (because, dunno, it shows a lack of faith?), or just because it’s useless (because things will turn out differently?)?
Couldn’t you find role models that are Christian that you would consider as admirable? That would probably cause less mental anguish than ditching Christianity wholesale, and I get the impression that there are a lot of Christians with happy, stable and satisfying lives (or would having a suburban home, a stable 9-to-5 job and 2.5 children fall under “losing at life”?).
There was that time I read all of Jehovah’s Witnesses literature for fun, and one theme that was constantly repeated was that the sin of Adam and Eve was to seek self-mastery over their lives. Thus, the great question to be settled between God and Satan was: have humans the right to guide themselves, or do they need divine guidance? Of course, the JW position is that human choices are hopeless without God (that’s the reason why JW don’t participate in politics; they think humans making their own rules is a terrible sin).
So I suspect the idea of “putting my plans in God’s hands” may refer to a fear of usurping God’s authority by trying to be your own master.
“Putting my plans in God’s hands” actually has some background to it. When I graduated from high school, we prayed that it would be obvious where I should go to college. I got into Harvard, and no where else particularly prestigious; we took that as I sign that I was supposed to go there. I was absolutely miserable there, but stayed because I thought God would be furious if I left. I finally left anyway on the brink of suicide. Since “making my own plans”, I have gotten over the depression almost completely, but I still feel sometimes like I ought to be back there. You can see why I’m a bit nervous about letting God run my life!
I guess the idea is sold to people as “making your own decisions vs. obeying the almighty and allknowing God”, but in practice it is used as “making your own decisions vs. obeying your religious leaders”.