“’For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.’” (Jeremiah 29:11 NLT)
Are you a planner? If you want to be like God, you need to be. He planned for you to have an opportunity to know, love, and follow Him before the foundations of this world were laid. Solomon wrote in Proverbs 15:22: “Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many advisers bring success.”
Solomon was a very wise man, but sometimes we refuse to plan adequately because we ask the wrong people for advice. We read books on leadership from CEO’s and corporate executives who may be very bright, but if they don’t know Jesus, their plans may not be appropriate for Pastors and church leaders.
Yes, of course, there are often similar strategies for training leaders and organizing ministries, but there are also spiritual gifts and callings to be considered. It’s not just about what we do as believers in Jesus, it’s why we do it. I can be a great motivator, but if all I’m doing is stirring people’s emotions, it won’t enable me to build faithful, long-lasting leaders in the Body of Christ.
The other issue can be, we make great plans, but we never follow through on any of them. Bob Goff said: “No one will be remembered for what they just planned to do.” I’m reminded of the phrase, often misquoted, from Robert Burns poem “To a Mouse:” “The best laid schemes o’ Mice an’ Men,” often go awry, like the nest of a mouse when it’s “home” is scattered by a plow.
What plans has the Lord laid on your heart, placed in your mind? Planning takes time and requires commitment and the investment of energy, which in this season of my life, is in short supply. It’s ironic how many things I can think of to do that, though I have plenty of time, I no longer have the physical capacity to do.
Why is planning important? In my mind, primarily because anything worth doing is worth doing well, and the better you plan, ideally and hopefully, the better the result. What if the Lord laid on your heart to send a note to each of your relatives, neighbors, co-workers, classmates, or friends, telling them your story about how you came to know and love Jesus? Maybe you’ve tried to talk to them before, but it never seemed to come out right.
Especially as I age, I have to write and rewrite things, sometimes several times, before the Lord okays the final product. That has become a regular process in writing these blog articles. But the point is – what are you planning? If you don’t yet have anything specific the Lord has asked you to do, why not take an hour or so and let Him help you dream about things you’d enjoy doing that would honor Him and bless others.
Perhaps there are some children in your apartment complex or neighborhood that would like to learn about Jesus. Maybe the church you attend, or another local church is having a VBS (Vacation Bible School) that you could help recruit kids you know are unchurched to attend. And, if not, maybe you could recruit some leaders to help you plan one.
When we stop dreaming about ways to reach the people in our spheres of influence we start to die spiritually. Our only reason for existence is to be salt and light, allowing the Holy Spirit to use us to create a hunger and thirst for Jesus. If you don’t have plans to do something for the Lord, let Him help you make some.
Food for thought.
Blessings, Ed 😊
Walking With Jesus 