Nevermind, God
There’s a sitcom I watched back in college. I won’t mention the name because, in hindsight, I wouldn’t recommend it now. But there’s one scene that has stuck with me.
One of the main characters finds himself in a pickle. So naturally, he heads to church to pray—a place you’d never expect to find this character. He’s desperate, pouring out the classic bargaining prayer so many of us have whispered: “God, if you do this for me, I promise I’ll give my life to…”
Just then, his phone rings.
“Nevermind, God. It all worked out!”
The scene’s funny because it’s a little too true, isn’t it? Often, we treat God the same way. We come to Him when we need something, with promises attached. “If You do this for me, then I’ll do that for You.” It’s almost as if we’re negotiating terms with God.
But here’s the problem: this mindset sets us up for two common outcomes.
In one case, we don’t get what we want, so we complain. We might even doubt, saying things like, “God doesn’t hear my prayers.”
Or we get exactly what we asked for, and we take all the credit. We’re like the nine lepers Jesus healed who never returned to say thank you.
But the root issue here is a false premise: that God’s role is to fulfill our plans.
God absolutely cares for us and knows our deepest hopes, desires, and needs. But He calls us to something greater: to align our hearts with His will, not to bend His will to ours. When we trust that He knows what is best, we can find peace in His timing, even if it means surrendering our own plans.
The next time we find ourselves in prayer, let’s move past “Nevermind, God.” Instead, let’s try, “Thy will be done.”