God May Have No Plan for You

One reason religion, many different religions, are so popular is that they fill a need for some people. If you are a person who feels the need for approval, and you do not receive enough approval from those around you, an invisible god floating by in your mind and offering approval is something you might reach out and grab.

The phrase, "God's plan for me," is one I have seen in the press and heard from friends and relatives hundreds or maybe thousands of times. I don't argue with someone who makes this statement, but privately I wonder if it is a healthy thought.

There are two potential problems with thinking a god has a plan for you. One is there is no evidence verified by independent observation there are any gods. If there is no god there is no plan for you.

The second problem is even if some version of a god exists, this god may not have a plan for you. He/she may not even know you exist. I've heard the Bible tells us we are not to "know the mind of God."

It seems to me there can be some harm in obsessing over "God's plan for me." A good friend of mine made a career choice because he thought it was God's plan for him. It did not go well and he was nearly wiped out financially. He found a another career he did not really like but he took it because that was all that was available to him. Now he tells me he is frustrated because God wants him in a career he does not like.

Reality is that life is a series of random events, both in your personal and professional life. I think it is better for one's mental health to simply accept what these events give us, good and bad, and make the best of it.

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