“I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.” — John 5:30
There is a phrase being used more and more in the world of artificial intelligence that caught my attention recently.
“The Alignment Problem”
In simple terms, AI alignment is about making sure an artificial intelligence system continues to operate within the goals, values, and intentions of the people who designed it. As these systems become increasingly capable of developing solutions beyond explicit step-by-step instructions, the question of alignment becomes increasingly important.
I’m not interested in sensationalizing artificial intelligence, but I’m not interested in ignoring legitimate concerns either. The fact that AI can develop solutions is part of what makes it useful. The concern is whether those solutions remain aligned with the original intention.
And that’s when this whole thing turned around on me.
While humanity is asking how we keep what we create aligned with the intention of its creators, perhaps God’s people should be asking an even more important question:
Are we still aligned with the intention of our Creator?
Obviously, I’m not equating human beings with artificial intelligence. But there is a parallel worth considering. God gives us assignments. He gives us gifts, ideas, ministries, businesses, relationships, resources, and opportunities. And long before we understand where all of it is going, He is working to bring us into alignment with Himself.
“The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.” — Psalm 37:23
Proverbs takes it even further: “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” — Proverbs 3:5–6
That’s alignment.
But receiving an assignment from God doesn’t make us the author of the assignment.
God speaks something to us, and then somewhere along the way circumstances change. A door closes. The resources aren’t there. The timing isn’t working. Something that seemed clear when God first spoke suddenly becomes complicated. And instead of going back to God, we start figuring out how to make it happen ourselves.
And sometimes we’re remarkably good at it.
That’s the problem.
The flesh can produce results. We can build something, solve something, organize something, and make something appear successful. But Scripture warns us, “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” — Proverbs 14:12
So the question isn’t simply, “Did it work?”
The question is, “Was it aligned with The Creator and His design?”
That’s where the AI parallel really caught my attention. A system can develop a solution that wasn’t specifically handed to it step-by-step, but the question is whether that solution remains consistent with the intention of the one who gave it the objective.
Spiritually, we can do the same thing. God gives us the assignment and the promise, but somewhere along the way we begin developing our own solution.
When we stop depending upon the Creator, the flesh starts writing its own code.
Abraham and Sarah learned that the hard way. God had given Abraham a promise, but fulfillment wasn’t happening according to their timetable. So they came up with Hagar.
The promise was from God. The solution was from man.
That’s an alignment problem.
And it can happen subtly. Something begins with prayer and complete dependence upon God. Then God blesses it. What began as something He entrusted to us can gradually start feeling like something that belongs to us. Instead of asking, “Lord, what do You want?” we can find ourselves asking Him to preserve what we have already decided needs to continue.
That’s the difference between entitlement and stewardship.
A steward understands that what is in his hands still belongs to someone else.
Paul wrote, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” — Ephesians 2:10
I love that.
We are His workmanship. Our job isn’t to manufacture God’s purpose for our lives. Our responsibility is to discover what He has prepared for us and remain dependent upon Him as we walk it out.
That becomes even more important as our capabilities increase. We’re living in an extraordinary age where technology allows us to accomplish things in minutes that previous generations could hardly have imagined.
But capability isn’t the measurement.
Alignment is.
Jesus said, “I can of mine own self do nothing.”
Think about who said that.
Jesus.
He wasn’t saying He lacked ability. He was demonstrating dependence upon the Father. He remained aligned with the Father’s will even when that alignment led Him all the way to Gethsemane:
“Nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.” — Luke 22:42
Maybe that is the heart of alignment.
God never intended spiritual maturity to mean that we eventually become so capable that we no longer need Him. If anything, maturity should make us increasingly aware of our dependence upon Him.
Isaiah 30:21 gives us this beautiful picture: “And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it.”
So perhaps the question isn’t merely whether we are accomplishing something for God. Maybe we need to ask:
“God, am I still aligned with Your intention for the assignment You gave me?”
Because receiving the assignment doesn’t make us the author of it.
Our responsibility is not merely to accomplish the assignment. It is to remain aligned with the One who gave it to us.
Prayer
Father, thank You for every assignment You have placed in my hands. Help me never confuse stewardship with ownership. When I begin depending upon my own understanding instead of seeking Your direction, bring me back into alignment with You. Keep my heart sensitive to Your voice and my steps ordered by Your Spirit. I don’t simply want to accomplish what You have called me to do; I want to do it Your way and in Your timing. May everything You have entrusted to me ultimately bring glory back to You.
In Jesus’ name, amen.