Auto-Correct.

Sometimes I think the person who invented auto-correct was a brilliant person with only the desire to help and improve the lives of writers.

Other times I’m convinced that whoever invented auto-correct was trying to defeat good writing, create frustration, and ensure that no one had a perfect paper.

There are times when I’m typing so fast to keep up with my thoughts that my fingers get mixed up, and Auto-correct comes in to save the word. But what about those times when I want a certain word and oh, no, auto-correct is sure I mean a different one because I had one letter mixed up, or missing. And then, no matter how I try, it insists that I wanted to say “picture” instead of “pitcher” or something like that. That’s when I wish auto-correct had never been invented!

(Of course I can now blame auto-correct for some of my strange typos.)

But all this thought about auto-correct got me thinking.

Do we act like Auto-Correct?

God is the Author and Finisher of our faith. He writes our story and knows what is going to happen before it comes. His plan for our lives is perfect.

But sometimes we don’t think it is. We just know that God didn’t mean this to happen, or for that other thing not to happen. So we get busy as little auto-correcters and try to fix things for God.

• We aren’t married yet, so we jump into the online dating pool to try and find that spouse that God hasn’t sent our way yet.
• We haven’t gotten on the best seller list yet, so we try changing our writing to fit more of the mainstream stuff.
• Our social media posts aren’t getting enough “likes”, so we start to exaggerate just a little, we Photoshop images to get the look we want instead of leaving them real.
• We are not making as much money as that other person, so we rush out to get another job, or maybe two. We work more hours, late shifts, anything as long as we are bringing home more money.

But we soon find that “auto-correcting” God’s plan with our won is not wise.

• We end up with heartache that wasn’t necessary.
• Our light for Christ grows dim in the mess and filth of the world.
• The praise of others becomes our focus instead of Christ.
• We have more money but are too exhausted to enjoy it.

And all along God has a better plan for us if we will just be patient and let Him finish our story instead of trying to fix things ourselves.

• Maybe God has a life of singleness, of pleasing Him, trusting Him, finding our all in Him instead of in man. Or maybe the one God has planned is coming in a different way.
• Maybe God is using our stories to bless, encourage, and point readers to our Heavenly Father in a way that we can’t see that never would happen had our story been a best seller.
• Maybe God wants to turn our attention to Him and be a blessing to a few instead of just another social media person to hundreds.
• Maybe God wants us to trust Him to provide financially and be grateful for what He has given.

Let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.

Hebrews 12:1b-2a

Do you find yourself trying to auto-correct your own life? Are you sometimes tempted to “help God” write your story? Let us turn off our auto-correct and leave the writing of our story in the hands of the ultimate Author because He never makes a mistake. Not even a typo.