By: Milan Ford - For as long as I can remember, I was taught to have one.
When selecting a certain field of study in school, have one. When pursuing a particular path of employment, have one. When researching a new savings or investment plan, have one. Even when it came to deciding on the woman I wanted to marry, I was taught to have one. Through the sincere and heartfelt counsel of parents, teachers, friends, co-workers, and at times, even our pastors, many of us have grown up our entire lives listening to the value and importance of having a Plan B. We are often taught that it is through an abundance of options, and not the lack of, that a sense of security and self-assurance in this life can be obtained. In an effort to minimize our fear of doubt or lack, we surround ourselves with alternatives, just in case the path we have chosen for ourselves has turned out to be one with unfavorable outcome. And while for many, the ability to always have a Plan B to 'fall back on' may seem to be a wise decision, when it comes to matters of faith, it can be a very unhealthy habit to maintain. As believers, many of us live out our lives like we have a remote glued to our hands. As soon as we see something we don't like, we quickly reach to change the channel, simply because we believe we have an option to do so. When we encounter difficulty at our jobs, we begin looking for opportunity elsewhere. When we have a disagreement with a spouse, we begin looking for agreement elsewhere. And as soon as we think our churches can no longer 'give' us what we're looking for, we begin looking to 'receive' somewhere else. As believers, we must be very careful when our individual pursuits of a Plan B are a direct result of not knowing or believing in God's Plan A. There perhaps is nothing that displeases God more than a believer with a closed fist - one who decides that holding onto his or her Plan B is much safer than letting go and trusting in God's Plan A. In Genesis 22 Abraham displayed incredible faith. Now here is a man who God basically told to take his son, his only son, a son that he loved and cherished, and sacrifice him as an offering on a mountain. Seems like if there were ever a time someone would have had the right to ask God for a Plan B, it was Abraham. However, instead of complaining and making some alternative suggestions to God, Abraham followed God's Plan A and took his son Isaac to the mountain as he was instructed. But check out verse 5 again. "And Abraham said to this young men, "Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and WE will come back to you." Now I have to admit, when I first read that passage I thought Abraham was just saying that to perhaps provide some form of comfort to the men he had brought along with him. I can only imagine how confused they had to be as to why Abraham was walking up a mountain with his son, his only son, a son that he loved and cherished, with some split wood as though he was heading to an offering......without a single lamb in sight! So how in the world did Abraham know to tell those young men that both he AND his son would come back down from that mountain? How is that Abraham could look his son in the eyes and with unwavering faith, tell him that God will provide the answer to this test? Simply because Abraham was already all too familiar and perhaps sick and tired of coming to God with a Plan B. Flip back and read Genesis 16 and you'll see exactly what I mean. Abraham gave up being in control, and decided to lean hard into God's Plan A, regardless of how ridiculous it may have sounded. Are you and I really prepared to demonstrate that kind of faith today? Remember this: Having a 'ram in the bush' is not the result of having a successful Plan B, but rather following God's Plan A. When you have no other alternatives, God then provides better choices.
