In the last week I had conversations with 3 different friends about whether they wished they knew then what they know now. In one case, a person gave up a solid career for what felt like a calling to the ministry. The ministry went sour for several reasons, none seemingly his fault. Despite strong efforts, no new ministry on the horizon. Another had 5 job offers. He chose one, turned the others down and waited for the new job to begin. Just prior to the job beginning, the company went belly up. The other four positions were gone or didn’t want him if they were his “second” choice. The third friend moved across country to a dream job. Within short order, it was clear that the job wasn’t going to be as advertised.
Counseling offices everywhere are full of individuals asking God for the answer to their why questions. Why did you let me go down the wrong path? Why didn’t you protect me? Why didn’t you bless my plans? Why won’t you show me the reasons for this pain (if I could just see how He was going to use this for (my) good, I could handle it).
So, what if you knew the future AND the reasons why.
“I did speak to you, but you didn’t want to hear what I was saying.”
“It has nothing really to do with you, but will be important to others that you will never know.”
“Your dreams are crushed, but being here allows your children to grow spiritually.”
“Until I return and judge the world, I allow sin, pain, and sickness to linger so that some will turn to Christ.”
“It will give me glory and will strengthen your reliance on me for everything.”
How would these help you? Would you want to hear the answers? Would it increase your willingness to die to self?
Musings on Faith and Psychology 
I’ve often wished for God to hit the internet with http://www.hisplan.god, so that we could look up our futures here. Still haven’t found the site, no matter how much I have googled it. While not having the answers to these questions available as I make decisions in my life seems difficult at times, I also know that the Lord is using it to shape my heart more into His image.
I love how you related this lack of knowledge to our willingness to die to ourselves; our plans are not always His plans. As difficult as that is to realize at times, the future blessing of His ultimate promises far surpasses our wildest imaginations.
Jeff, not knowing how its going to turn out increases our risk-taking for God. I especially like how that plays out in the story of The Hobbit, which I see was on your desk recently.
Cheers.
“Note to self: Don’t die for anyone; note to self, don’t die.” Ryan Adams
Hmmmmmmm. I might not want to know the future….what I’d like to do is re-do the past. I know I am where he has me but all I have are the platitudes of well meaning friends of Job. I know I am where he has me, but it “inhales sharply”. I know I am where he has me and I suppose I will not die….not yet.
Travis,
While there are several things that I wish I didn’t do or could do again but I imagine that I could screw it up in a different way.
I hear you on the platitudes problem. Part of friendships ought to be the bearing witness of the life situation of each other. That idea ought to help decrease the amount of giving each other “wise counsel” that was uninvited.