Review: What If … God Has Other Plans?

What If…God Has Other Plans? Finding Hope When Life Throws You the Unexpected

By Charles R. Swindoll (Tyndale)

Many people face each day wondering what to do if their carefully laid plans are not those God has for them. What if God’s will is not my will? Charles R. Swindoll, long-time pastor and writer, addresses such questions in What If…God Has Other Plans?

Swindoll deals with a variety of questions, including: “What if you suddenly lose everything?” “What if a longtime friend deceives you?” and “What if you need a second chance?” With each issue addressed, Swindoll approaches the topic on two levels: one, as a pastor would deal with such a situation in the church; two, as an individual would deal with such problems in his/her life.

From the chapter on “What If . . . a Person Is an Unrepentant Troublemaker?” he suggests what he calls “a helpful formula that has been used in the church over the centuries.” The approach works “in most situations where not everyone agrees but where all desire harmony rather than strife,” Swindoll writes. “I suggest you memorize it and then put it into practice: In essentials…unity; in nonessentials…liberty; in all things…charity.”

Wise and timely advice permeates the book and makes it a valuable resource for resolving interpersonal conflicts.

Alice Thomas

Conroe