Faith & Insight: Part of the plan

I’ve had a lot of plans in my life that didn’t work out. When I was 4, I thought I could fly and so I jumped out of a window. When I was 6, I thought I could drive and almost ran my mom over. When I was 11, I thought I would marry my first girlfriend. When I was 14, I thought I was going to play soccer on Team USA.

Many of us have heard God’s plan for our lives, what some call the Gospel. But the plan didn’t start with Adam and Eve, it didn’t start with breaking rules in a garden, and it didn’t even start with creation. It started before time in the heart and mind of God.

The reason is the Gospel is a story. It’s the oldest story written by someone outside this world for everyone in it. And this story has power. It’s humbled kings, conquered empires and shaped modern life. When people hear this story, they’re moved from one kingdom to another, from darkness to light, even from death to life.

A man named Paul once wrote a letter to his friends in Rome about this story and why God’s plan is powerful. He said in Romans 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.” Paul didn’t hide Jesus behind his back like he was ashamed. He held him up and said, “he’s the best part of me!” He was not ashamed of Jesus and the plan because it changed him.

Jesus was born just like us, the only small difference is his father is the God who made you. A teenage girl suddenly became pregnant and was told her son would save rule-breakers like us. He would heal thousands of terminal diseases, feed an army with five loaves, lead God’s people like a mother and father. But men killed him like an animal and somehow this was part of the plan. The reason is as men were working, God was also working as well.

Jesus was hurt like we should be, and his goodness was given to us. And it all came down to one moment when Jesus stopped breathing and we were forgiven. But 36 hours later, his heart began to beat again, and he walked out of the tomb.

That’s why Paul doesn’t ghost Jesus, because no one else could make him good and give him power over death. I love stories about wizards and dragons, and in every book the ability to defeat death is the ultimate power. Jesus has this power and gives it to rule-breakers like us, and I don’t know exactly why.

The first movie my dad took me to see was Beauty and the Beast, and we watched it twice. The story is about a beautiful woman named Belle who takes the place of her father as a prisoner to the beast, an unkind prince cursed to look like a monster until he learns to love.

And through events they fall in love, until the town people realize this beast is real and Belle loves him. They storm his castle and try to kill him. And they do, but in the moment of his death Belle confesses her love for him and saves him.

If you think about it, we are the beast and Christ is the beauty we don’t deserve. He takes the place of the prisoner who broke the rules, he loves the unlovable and saves us from the death we deserve. And our love and faith in him transforms us into something beautiful, true and new. This was the plan from the start, for our beautiful God to turn beasts into sons and daughters.

Never forget you are part of the plan and part of the greatest love story ever told, a story that can change you forever. The Gospel is the good news that happened, but as Paul says, it has power to save you even today if you would accept it.

Fred Kingman is the spiritual formation pastor at LifePoint Church in Minden.