Plans

Plans are good.  They are a necessary part of life.  Without them we are unable to have a sense of direction and purpose--to know which way to turn as the days and events of life roll by. 

Of course, the diversity of the kinds of plans that people make are as varied as the personalities that each person possesses:  to someone who is highly administrative they are quite comfortable in creating the 'list' that directs much of what life looks like for them.  And for the one who is more of a 'free-spirit', the plans will look much less rigid, but they are still necessary.

The challenge with making plans that affect the directions of our lives is to know what kinds of values that must be honored that will shape the forming of the plan itself.  We need to ask things like:  'are my plans primarily self-centered or are they inclusive enough to make room for the well-being of others?'  Or maybe: 'how do I value the time I have been given and how do I make use of that time?'

The list of potential questions are endless, but there is one thing that must be at the very foundation of the plan-making process for followers of Jesus and that one thing revolves around Jeremiah 10:23 that says "I know, O Lord, that a man's life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps.  Correct me, Lord, but only with justice--not in your anger, lest you reduce me to nothing."

So what can I take from this?  First of all, and probably most important is to realize that my life is not my own, therefore, it makes little sense to make plans without consulting the Lord regarding them!  If my life belongs to Jesus, then it is critical that I ask Him what He desires for it.  Sounds easy, but is much harder than you might imagine.  One of the reasons for this is that it is really hard to trust Jesus for the very practical things that come along with daily life.  This just seems to be something that is not what we usually imagine is part of 'spiritual life'.  But I believe that this is what God is calling us to--to intentionally engage Him in offering ourselves up to Him and asking for Him to lead us in the plan building that is necessary.

The second thing is this:  God knows that I will struggle with trusting Him to direct my steps, and I will fight against Him in this because of sin in me.  That's why the passage above asks that the Lord would correct me.  I need to be brought back again and again to that place of surrender to Him.  Don't despair, this can be done, but it will take time.  And don't forget, God is very patient with His children!

The last thing to note here is this:  We need to remember Who it is that is directing our steps--a Mighty God who has the power to reduce us to nothing!  In reverence we approach our God who is loving and kind, but we need to show respect to Him as He is worthy of this.  We need not be paralyzed in fear of approaching Him, because Jesus has now made it possible for us to boldly approach the throne of grace.  But our hearts should still reflect an understanding of this Universe-creating God who is power incarnate!  What a wonderful thing it is that He is 'for us and not against us'.

So let's not avoid the benefits of taking time to make plans that help to bring stability to our lives.  But let's not forget that the best plans start by submitting our whole life to the One who desires to direct it.

BT