The Master Strategist

My God is terrifyingly strategic.

Which makes perfect sense, considering He wired me similarly.

I’ve always wanted to understand deeper things. I don’t just want to know what, I need to know why. I genuinely believe that behind every what is a why, and that belief shapes how I move through the world.

I observe lives, especially the lives of those closest to me. And what I’ve noticed, over and over, is that many people struggle because they can’t quite get out of their own way. Naturally, I analyze why. Then I compare those lives to people who don’t seem as limited, people who appear more grounded. I look for the difference. I isolate the factor. I search for the dividing line.

That’s how I determine direction.

This is how I initially began moving unconventionally. I look at those who came before me, and when I realize I don’t want my life to resemble theirs, or don’t want to end up where they are spiritually or mentally, I intentionally do the opposite.

That’s how I found Jesus.

I didn’t arrive at faith blindly. Honestly, I studied outcomes. I watched the lives of people who didn’t choose Him, and I drew a conclusion: He truly is the way, the truth, and the life. The evidence was in the fruit. The lives I observed lacked direction, accountability, and genuine peace (Lord knows I desperately needed peace). I didn’t see sustained love or real joy, just cycles. And I decided that what I observed wasn’t the way I wanted to lead this life God’s given me.

When I look back at the way God has orchestrated my life so far, I’m honestly stunned by how strategic He’s been with me.

Just as I determined the kind of life I wanted by observing those before me, I learned to stay on the right path by observing my peers closest to me, through evidence, outcomes, and patterns. Over time, I learned to discern what was of God and what wasn’t.

As you can imagine, I lost a lot of friends along the way. My very best friends.

Not because I confronted them. Not because I pointed fingers. But because the more evidence I gathered internally, the more I adjusted. And the more I adjusted, the more my path directly contradicted theirs.

Here’s what hit me today:

As you can see, I’m very analytical. And in a way, God honored that part of me. He used my very nature to save me.

I didn’t choose God before I started choosing differently. I chose differently, and discovered that what I was choosing was God all along.

That realization stopped me in my tracks.

I’m stubborn by nature. I’m honest, and I’ll admit when I’m wrong without issue. But just as much as I’m spiritual, I’m logical. And knowing me better than I know myself, God used my strategy to lead me to His Spirit. He didn’t have to, but by His grace, He did.

He once said something to me in a dream about three years ago, something I finally understand now:

“I have to play these cards right.”

Cards are all about strategy.

And He is a master strategist.

God strategically saved my soul. Only He can do such a thing.

I say all this to say: God is in full control, even when we genuinely believe the outcomes are in our hands. I weighed my options, never fully committing to Christ, yet it was amid that faithless posture that God placed me on a path of purpose. A path where my heart was no longer divided and my faith became steady.

For my intellectuals:

You can be analytical and still faithfully serve the Lord. There is a balance to everything.

It is okay to ask questions. It is okay to dive into deeper things with Christ, the key is to do it with Christ. Some of the most analytical people receive the deepest revelations from the Lord, not simply because they questioned Him, but because they kept digging in all the right places: His presence and His Word.

Also remember, when it’s all said and done, it’s God’s truth over your understanding.

That can be difficult for us at times. Scripture tells us plainly not to lean on our own understanding, but to trust the Lord fully (see Proverbs 3:5–6). And I’ll tell you this now: some things will click immediately, while others won’t. That’s just the reality of walking by faith.

This is a little deeper than I originally intended to go, but it matters, your faith must always outweigh your logic. Sometimes faith and logic will be in agreement. Other times, they won’t be.

When that tension comes, choose faith. Every time.

Scriptures to reflect on:

Proverbs 16:9

"In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps."