--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: God is not concerned about our plans; He…" description: "\"God is not concerned about our plans; He doesn’t ask, “Do you want to go through this loss of a loved one, this difficulty, or this defeat?” No, He all..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e4/oswald-chambers-205_asks_god-is-not-concerned-about-our-plans-he_1825940.png" --- # God is not concerned about our plans; He doesn’t ask, “Do… ![“God is not concerned about our plans; He doesn’t ask, “Do you want to go through this loss of a loved one, this difficulty, or this defeat?” No, He allows these things for His own purpose. The things we are going through are either making us sweeter, better, and nobler men and women, or they are…” quote by Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e4/oswald-chambers-205_asks_god-is-not-concerned-about-our-plans-he_1825940.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e4/oswald-chambers-205_asks_god-is-not-concerned-about-our-plans-he_1825940.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e4/oswald-chambers-205_asks_god-is-not-concerned-about-our-plans-he_1825940.png) > “God is not concerned about our plans; He doesn’t ask, “Do you want to go through this loss of a loved one, this difficulty, or this defeat?” No, He allows these things for His own purpose. The things we are going through are either making us sweeter, better, and nobler men and women, or they are making us more critical and fault-finding, and more insistent on our own way. The things that happen either make us evil, or they make us more saintly, depending entirely on our relationship with God and its level of intimacy.” [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. God permits hardships not as punishment but as opportunities for spiritual growth, shaping character based on our intimacy with Him. **In simple terms:** Hardships shape us, depending on our relationship with God. Key Takeaway Embrace challenges as growth opportunities. Themes faith spirituality character suffering growth Mood reflective hopeful serene Type inspirational theological philosophical When to use this quote - grief counseling - personal crisis - leadership development - ethical decision making Key Concepts theodicy personal transformation intimacy with divine Questions to Reflect On - How does your relationship with God influence your response to loss? - What practices help you stay humble during difficulty? A Different Perspective Hardships can also cause resentment if not processed with humility. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Defeat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defeat/) [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Fault finding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fault-finding/) [Intimacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intimacy/) [Loss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loss/) [Loss of a loved one](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loss-of-a-loved-one/) [Loved ones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loved-ones/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Men and women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-and-women/) [Our relationship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/our-relationship/) [Purpose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purpose/) [Relationship with god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relationship-with-god/) ## Related quotes > [Things without purpose or meaning Entertains me these days Oh, what a blame game Knowing, I cannot share](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-kler/things-without-purpose-or-meaning-entertains-me-these-days-oh-what-a/) [Nick Kler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-kler/) > [Fear has a very concrete power of keeping us from doing and saying the things that are our purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luvvie-ajayi/fear-has-a-very-concrete-power-of-keeping-us-from-doing-and-saying/) [Luvvie Ajayi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luvvie-ajayi/) > [Focus very clearly on a few small things. The purpose of a business is to give someone something that they want. Have a product…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/focus-very-clearly-on-a-few-small-things-the-purpose-of-a-business-is/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [I think women are inclined to look at things with more purpose because of our sensibility. We want things to connect and come together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominique-crenn/i-think-women-are-inclined-to-look-at-things-with-more-purpose/) [Dominique Crenn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominique-crenn/) > [All things have a purpose so, if you have a problem, never give up. Time will come and it will be solved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/all-things-have-a-purpose-so-if-you-have-a-problem-never-give-up-time/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It is in changing that things find purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heraclitus/it-is-in-changing-that-things-find-purpose/) [Heraclitus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heraclitus/) > [My friends don't understand, whether it's belonging to a country club or playing golf, or whatever a vacation is, that should make you happy.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-wexner/my-friends-don-t-understand-whether-it-s-belonging-to-a-country-club/) [Les Wexner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-wexner/) > [It is proved...that things cannot be other than they are, for since everything was made for a purpose, it follows that everything is made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/it-is-proved-that-things-cannot-be-other-than-they-are-for-since/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [The true purpose is to see things as they are, to observe things as they are, and to let everything go as it goes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shunryu-suzuki/the-true-purpose-is-to-see-things-as-they-are-to-observe-things-as/) [Shunryu Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shunryu-suzuki/) > [When things fall apart, consider the possibility that life knocked it down on purpose. Not to bully you, or to punish you, but to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/when-things-fall-apart-consider-the-possibility-that-life-knocked-it/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [But men may construe things after their fashion, Clean from the purpose of the things themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/but-men-may-construe-things-after-their-fashion-clean-from-the/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Love. Purpose. Those are things that you can't plan for. Those are things that just happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainbow-rowell/love-purpose-those-are-things-that-you-can-t-plan-for-those-are/) [Rainbow Rowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainbow-rowell/) > [“But it would serve no purpose – there are many things the ones we love don’t need to know.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cimadori/but-it-would-serve-no-purpose-there-are-many-things-the-ones-we-love/) Sandra Cimadori > [“If there’s one thing I know, it’s that God has a purpose for things. Everything fits together like a puzzle, but we’re looking at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-b-jenkins/if-there-s-one-thing-i-know-it-s-that-god-has-a-purpose-for-things/) [Jerry B. Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-b-jenkins/) > [“The ultimate purpose? There are three things: 1) to walk; 2) to see; 3) to see what you see.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benton-mackaye/the-ultimate-purpose-there-are-three-things-1-to-walk-2-to-see-3-to/) [Benton MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benton-mackaye/) ## More by Oswald Chambers > [“If we deliberately choose to obey God, then He will tax the remotest star and the last grain of sand to assist us with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/if-we-deliberately-choose-to-obey-god-then-he-will-tax-the-remotest/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [Realize that the Lord is here now, and the freedom you receive is immediate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/realize-that-the-lord-is-here-now-and-the-freedom-you-receive-is/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [You will never cease to be the most amazed person on earth at what God has done for you on the inside.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/you-will-never-cease-to-be-the-most-amazed-person-on-earth-at-what/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [When Jesus Christ shed his blood on the cross, it was not the blood of a martyr; or the blood of one man for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/when-jesus-christ-shed-his-blood-on-the-cross-it-was-not-the-blood-of/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [Sorrow burns up a great amount of shallowness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/sorrow-burns-up-a-great-amount-of-shallowness/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [“Let circumstances take you where they will, but keep drawing on the grace of God in whatever condition you may find yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/let-circumstances-take-you-where-they-will-but-keep-drawing-on-the/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [The goal of faithfulness is not that we will do work for God, but that He will be free to do His work through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/the-goal-of-faithfulness-is-not-that-we-will-do-work-for-god-but-that/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [We are in danger of forgetting that we cannot do what God does, and that God will not do what we can do. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/we-are-in-danger-of-forgetting-that-we-cannot-do-what-god-does-and/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [“It is a solemn thing, and no small scandal in the Kingdom, to see God's children starving while actually seated at the Father's table.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/it-is-a-solemn-thing-and-no-small-scandal-in-the-kingdom-to-see-god-s/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [“If my holiness is not drawing towards Him, it is not holiness of the right order, but an influence that will awaken inordinate affection…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/if-my-holiness-is-not-drawing-towards-him-it-is-not-holiness-of-the/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [“My spiritual history must have as its underlying foundation a personal knowledge of Jesus Christ. To be born again means that I see Jesus.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/my-spiritual-history-must-have-as-its-underlying-foundation-a/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [We always have visions, before a thing is made real. When we realize that although the vision is real, it is not real in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/we-always-have-visions-before-a-thing-is-made-real-when-we-realize/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [The lasting value of our public service for God is measured by the depth of the intimacy of our private times of fellowship and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/the-lasting-value-of-our-public-service-for-god-is-measured-by-the/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [The thing that awakens the deepest fountain of gratitude in a human being is that God has forgiven his sin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/the-thing-that-awakens-the-deepest-fountain-of-gratitude-in-a-human/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [The secret of the missionary is...I am His, and He is carrying out His work through me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/the-secret-of-the-missionary-is-i-am-his-and-he-is-carrying-out-his/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) [Explore all 922 Oswald Chambers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) ## More Asks quotes > [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/) [Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/) > [I don't wear a watch because I want my arms to weigh the same. So if somebody asks me what time it is, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/i-don-t-wear-a-watch-because-i-want-my-arms-to-weigh-the-same-so-if/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) > [I am a practicing Catholic, but my lineage is Jewish, so if someone asks me if I'm Jewish, I say yes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neve-campbell/i-am-a-practicing-catholic-but-my-lineage-is-jewish-so-if-someone/) [Neve Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neve-campbell/) > [Freedom in every sense but primarily political sense, a rise in repression that stems from a repression of sexuality. It's AIDS, it's herpes, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/freedom-in-every-sense-but-primarily-political-sense-a-rise-in/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [Why did Erich von Stronheim leave Germany? Why did Hitchcock leave England? If you were a director you'd like to work in Hollywood too.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roman-polanski/why-did-erich-von-stronheim-leave-germany-why-did-hitchcock-leave/) [Roman Polanski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roman-polanski/) > [There is nothing more I ask of this life than this moment, exactly so. And suddenly forever seems like too short a time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-andreas/there-is-nothing-more-i-ask-of-this-life-than-this-moment-exactly-so/) [Brian Andreas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-andreas/) > [Success will come when the societal attitude changes and not a single woman in America asks herself the question 'What did I do?'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/success-will-come-when-the-societal-attitude-changes-and-not-a-single/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [The most fundamental question we can ever ask ourselves is whether or not the universe we live in is friendly or hostile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/the-most-fundamental-question-we-can-ever-ask-ourselves-is-whether-or/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [The rich people are apparently leaving America. They're giving up their citizenship. These great lovers of America who made their money in this country-when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/the-rich-people-are-apparently-leaving-america-they-re-giving-up/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [There is a way to be a woman, ask for what we deserve and be able to negotiate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracee-ellis-ross/there-is-a-way-to-be-a-woman-ask-for-what-we-deserve-and-be-able-to/) [Tracee Ellis Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracee-ellis-ross/) > [For someone to ask 'Who did you play for' and to be able to answer a single name 'Liverpool' that would be brilliant...I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-carragher/for-someone-to-ask-who-did-you-play-for-and-to-be-able-to-answer-a/) [Jamie Carragher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-carragher/) > [I have no hesitation in saying that although the American woman never leaves her domestic sphere and is in some respects very dependent within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-de-tocqueville/i-have-no-hesitation-in-saying-that-although-the-american-woman-never/) [Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-de-tocqueville/) > [Ask God for temp'rance. That's th' appliance only Which your disease requires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/ask-god-for-temp-rance-that-s-th-appliance-only-which-your-disease/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [I don't know how to say it exactly. Only...I want to die as myself. Does that make any sense?' he asks. I shake my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/i-don-t-know-how-to-say-it-exactly-only-i-want-to-die-as-myself-does/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [Physicist Isador Isaac Rabi, who won a Nobel Prize for inventing a technique that permitted scientists to probe the structure of atoms and molecules…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-saul-wurman/physicist-isador-isaac-rabi-who-won-a-nobel-prize-for-inventing-a/) [Richard Saul Wurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-saul-wurman/) Browse all 7,138 Asks quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "God is not concerned about our plans; He doesn’t ask, “Do you want to go through this loss of a loved one, this difficulty, or this defeat?” No, He allows these things for His own purpose. The things we are going through are either making us sweeter, better, and nobler men and women, or they are making us more critical and fault-finding, and more insistent on our own way. The things that happen either make us evil, or they make us more saintly, depending entirely on our relationship with God and its level of intimacy.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Oswald Chambers" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/god-is-not-concerned-about-our-plans-he-doesn-t-ask-do-you-want-to-go/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Asks" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/god-is-not-concerned-about-our-plans-he-doesn-t-ask-do-you-want-to-go/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e4/oswald-chambers-205_asks_god-is-not-concerned-about-our-plans-he_1825940.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e4/oswald-chambers-205_asks_god-is-not-concerned-about-our-plans-he_1825940.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e4/oswald-chambers-205_asks_god-is-not-concerned-about-our-plans-he_1825940.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“God is not concerned about our plans; He doesn’t ask, “Do you want to go through this loss of a loved one…” — Oswald Chambers", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Oswald Chambers", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "God is not concerned about our...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/god-is-not-concerned-about-our-plans-he-doesn-t-ask-do-you-want-to-go/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/god-is-not-concerned-about-our-plans-he-doesn-t-ask-do-you-want-to-go/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```