When I first picked up God's Plans for You by J.I. Packer, I thought it would be, well, a book about knowing what choices to make in life. What job, where to live, how to serve. The fact that I was so mistaken about the books purpose shows how much I need this sort of teaching.
Dr. Packer makes his intent clear in the Introduction:
The aim throughout is to show how life looks and feels when lived by faith in the sovereign God of the Bible, and to help in forming attitudes, focusing values, and making decisions amid the perplexing cross-currents of decadence in the culture and the church.There is a chapter on guidance -- and a good one at that -- but Dr. Packer first lays the foundation by examining what a right relationship with God looks like. Following Christ is not about our pleasure, but about submitting to God's sovereignty.
After the initial chapters covering basic Christian orientation and relationship, Dr. Packer fleshes out his initial teaching in chapters covering subjects such as guidance, joy, health, depression, and self-image.
If you were only going to read one book by J.I. Packer, I would still recommend Knowing God over this one. But even though this isn't my favorite book by J.I. Packer, it's still better than a lot of Bible teachers will ever hope to write. As always, Dr. Packer's writing is clear and biblical, and points the reader to the importance of living a life in submission to our sovereign God.
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