Formulas

In school I was always pretty good at math because I was able to understand the logic behind it. And I loved it when formulas were introduced! I like formulas because they are a defined set of rules that work every time. You want to find circumference of a circle? Use the equation C = 2 π r, plug in your variables and you’re good to go! Once you know the formula and all the variables, solving certain problems becomes a cinch!

So often I long for life to work this way. I wish it were formulaic. Going to church + Reading your Bible + Praying + Serving = Healed, Happy, and Healthy, living your perfect life. But that’s not the way it works. You can’t always get out of a hard season by just doing certain things.

Now, don’t get me wrong, there are some very formulaic things about this world. You want to lose weight? Make some lifestyle changes. You want to do better in school? Pay attention and study more. You want to have more money to spend? Don’t blow it all on unnecessary things.

There are laws that govern our world that will remain to be true, but just because you do everything “right” doesn’t mean that you will always have a perfect life. I believe that God is honored when we steward things like our minds and bodies and resources and influence well, but he’s also honored when we don’t put all our trust in the things we do. He’s honored when we have faith that God while we work to the best of our abilities.

As frustrating as this non-formulaic system we live in can be, I’m growing to be thankful for it. God knows each of us intimately and wants all of us to come to him. We’re not just some random numerals he plugs into the formula of life, he has a unique path set out for each of us. Think about that for a moment! He doesn’t have one cookie-cutter path for human beings that looks exactly the same; each person’s story is different and unique (though they all have similar themes) and God knows each and every one of them. He knows the threads that run through our lives and is intimately aware of each of them.

You are not merely a number in the grand scheme of the universe. You’re not just a name recorded in history. You’re a uniquely created human being with a specific destiny and calling. You are known and loved by the Creator. What an immense privilege!