Have you ever heard, “God has a plan for you,” while battling depression, only to feel like that plan doesn’t involve you? Has anyone ever quoted Jeremiah 29:11 to you? “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” When life feels hopeless, this can make you feel like God’s plan has failed you.
The Misinterpretation
If I told you that Jeremiah 29:11 isn’t speaking to you, would that turn your world upside-down? Or would that explain a lot?
Our society has adapted into a very individualistic culture. But there may be people reading from collectivist cultures who will have a better understanding of this. For those of us living in individualistic cultures, it’s difficult for us to accept the fact that something in scripture didn’t have “me” in mind when it was written. That shouldn’t be a surprise, and can provide a breath of fresh air once you fully accept it.
This verse isn’t validation or a guarantee of your individual prosperity. To treat it as such is ignoring its context. So let’s look at what this verse is actually speaking about.
The True Meaning
The Israelites found themselves exiled from their land and into Babylon. Many people, claiming to be profits, told the Israelites they would soon be freed. But God revealed the truth to Jeremiah – seventy years would pass before their deliverance. Until then, they were to “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters” (Jeremiah 29:5-6). They were also told to seek peace and prosperity of Babylon.
Then, after seventy years passed, they would be free. It was in the fulfillment of this promise – God knew the plans he had for the Israelites to prosper – that they should find comfort. The Israelites, as a people group, would finally find their freedom.
However, this promise didn’t apply to individuals, as they wouldn’t experience this freedom in their lifetimes. The promise was for their children and grandchildren, and for future generations.
The Mental Health Impact
But why do I want this verse to speak directly to me?
Because I want to believe that there is a plan for my life. That if I have suffered, I will be relieved of this suffering in this lifetime. And I want it to happen soon. Soon enough that for the rest of my life, I can look back and think that all the suffering was worth it.
The danger in this thinking is that if my struggles or my sufferings are not relieved, I begin to lose hope. I begin to lose faith.
An absence of relief isn’t a result of a lack of God’s faithfulness. However, my belief that God is not faithful is the result of my misconception and misinterpretation of what the Bible says.
For many years of my life I have struggled with the idea that my suffering was either a lack of my faith, or a lack of God’s faithfulness. But I was wrong.
Correcting The Misconception
The idea that life is greater than myself has impacted me for years, but I still lived with an individualistic mentality. I even wrote a book about living for others. Yet, I interpreted the Bible as being specifically addressed to me.
When I started focusing on reading the Bible as it was written and intended to be read, I began to look at my own life differently.
I still struggle with my own mental health. I have days in which my depression is worse than others. My anxiety gets the better of me before I see it coming. But there is a peace reading the Bible with the correct interpretation. I don’t feel the pressure that comes with thinking that a lack of immediate relief from my struggles is because of my lack of faith. Or that God does not follow through with His promises.
I’m not pretending to have all the answers. And I’m not pretending that I know what everyone is dealing with or how to respond. But I can say that once you start searching for the truth in earnest, it will start revealing itself to you.
There Is Still Hope For Us
Just because this verse was not written to us does not mean that it wasn’t written for us. God has a plan for His eternity. And if we choose to follow Him, that eternity includes us. He has a plan for all His people to prosper as a whole. How far into eternity our prosperity comes to fruition as individuals differs from person to person. It isn’t up to us to know when that will happen, but it is up to us to trust that it will happen.
Find More Resources
If you struggle with a mental health condition and need more resources, please feel free to contact me, or check out the links below.