Sarah Palin and God`s Plan

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Sarah Palin and God’s Plan
By Bill Austin, Waco, TX

In a recent news article, Sarah Palin was quoted as saying that John McCain chose her to be his running mate in 2008 because “It’s God’s plan.” She is not the first or the last politician (or preacher) to affirm that her (or his) agenda is the specific plan and will of the divine Creator.

To me, this is not a political or partisan issue. Democrats as well as Republicans have made similar pronouncements. This is a theological issue that goes to the very heart of personal faith, and should be approached with great reverence and humility. To speak with certainty about our plans being God’s plans raises questions about personal interpretations and ultimate consequences.

If it was truly “God’s plan” for her to run for the vice presidency, does that mean that Sarah Palin’s candidacy was one of the means that God used to get Barack Obama elected? Or does it mean that God was positioning her for a future role in national politics? Either view could be right, or they could both be wrong.

Church leaders often try to sell their programs by insisting it is God’s will. Every time I hear someone say they have a direct message from God, I remember the story about the preacher who told his congregation that Jesus had spoken to him and told him to resign from the church. The entire congregation sprang to their feet and started singing, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.”

There are usually two distinct approaches to interpreting the will of God. One approach is conductcentered—the other is goal-centered. The latter approach sees God’s will in terms of achieving a certain goal, such as getting a particular job or house, getting a certain person elected president, or winning the battle for programs, budgets, and buildings.

The other—the conduct-centered approach—emphasizes that what God wants above all else is for us to use godly methods and tactics regardless of the outcome of the vote or project. In this approach, how we conduct ourselves is understood to be the will of God. In the goal-centered approach, what we accomplish is understood to be God’s will.

I have always felt that behaving with Christ-like conduct and integrity is more in the character of God’s will than achieving certain goals. In other words, God’s will is doing everything in God’s way, whether we win or lose.

The author is a former chaplain at Baylor University and wrote this article as a Guest Column in the Waco Tribune Herald.