Why Plan

 

    When it comes to planning you need God.  He is the reason behind the plan.  He gives your inspiration power.  We need to plan to have direction, but it also helps us stay focused on God's will for our lives.  God opens the doors to your plans if He is supporting them.  He will close the doors to your plans if it does not lead you to Him.

    Asking God to bless your plans without seeking His direction will not sanctify your plans.  Do not expect Him to bless something He is against.  He needs to be the consultant and leader of your plans, not a supporter.  

    Instead of jumping in, and asking God to bless what you want to do, pray over your ideas.  Ask Him if they are in His will for your life.  Ask Him to give you direction on how to proceed.  What comes next is the hard part.  You have to wait, listen, and allow the Bible to guide you in your principles and priorities.  Then the plan will start to come together.  

    It is very unlikely that it will all be 100% clear.  You have to obey and then more will be revealed.  Most of us would probably never change our lives if we really understood how much work or how difficult it can be.  That is another reason God may reveal the plan in pieces.  Once you get started it becomes easier, but change is always uncomfortable or hard.

    When you use scripture to guide your plans, it affects other people.  They see the power behind what you are doing as the Holy Spirit works in the details.  Even non-Christians will notice that there is something different about what you are doing.  You can use this as a teaching opportunity and show them God in your work.

    Planning requires surrendering to God.  This can be hard when our brokenness gets in the way.  We like to feel in control, but we have to let that go to get something better in life.  We have to let it go to see a bigger or clearer picture of our lives.  

    Jesus is our model in the garden before he endured the 24 hours of trials and torture.  To ignore God's counsel or guidance in our life direction can be hazardous.  You may prosper financially for a while, but it won't last.  You can't take anything of this world with you when you die, so you need to decide what really matters to you.  What are your goals?  Who is your family?  What can you do to focus on what matters to you?

    When you follow your own path and you succeed, do you really prosper?  If you neglect your relationship with God, then the answer is no.  You can be rich and miserable.  You can be successful by the world's standards and completely alone in your life.  You nee to understand the difference between wants and needs.  You want things, but you need God.  If you don't see that, then it is a tragedy.

    To make plans in your life without God is a sin.  It is a sign of arrogance.  You are telling the world that your ideas for life are better than God's plan for you.  Arrogance is self-reliance and that is evil in God's eyes.  To live that way is to live Godlessly.  If you are a Christians living like that, then it is even worse because you understand the truth and your life is a lie for the non-Christians to justify their lifestyle.  

    Plans that acknowledge God has direction.  It takes you directly to Him.  Every step gets you closer to Him.  It is why we need to plan.  We want to be closer to God.  We want to know and understand the plans that He has for us, so that we can really prosper in life.  When we go off path, then all we need to do is repent, seek a new plan to get back on track, and seek to find Jesus in it all.  We can see our part in the human history and what may come.  We get to be part of the Good News.

Psalm 40:4-5, Proverbs 3:5-6, Jeremiah 29:10-14, Acts 7:44-45, 2 Timothy 1:8-11, & Revelations 3:7