We all make plans, but are they the ones we want for ourselves or the ones that guide us to God’s purpose for our lives?
“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” (Proverbs 19:21)
This is January, and plans are big this time of year. From our brand-spanking-new planners to the fresh calendars on our walls, we’ve got plans.
Most of us are making New Year’s Resolutions and 2020 goals that will be long-term plans for the rest of the year. And on a smaller scale, some of us are ransacking the clearance Christmas decorations for steals to break out for the next holiday season.
Then there are the people who prefer to fly by the seat of their pants. They don’t plan dinner, they create it from the offerings in their kitchen. They don’t worry about what they’ll do over the weekend, they let inspiration hit when the time comes.
These people confuse and frustrate me. I know this because I married one of them…
The plans of our hearts
No matter what kind of planner (or non-planner) you are, you probably have some plans written on your heart. Maybe they seem more like dreams, but dreams are just plans without action steps.
There’s nothing wrong with planning… except when we forget to include God in the process.
When we make big plans for our lives, and we follow them diligently, heading for the goal that we think will make us happy, or successful, or complete, have we ever stopped to ask, is this what God wants for me, too?
I know I don’t always consult God beforehand. I get an idea and I am off and running with it. And when it doesn’t make me as happy as I thought it would, I wonder where I went wrong. And if I fail, I wonder how it happened when I was trying so hard.
God’s Purpose, God’s Plan
Before we were even a blip on an ultrasound screen, God had a plan and a purpose for us. We were created uniquely because that purpose is suited just for us, as we are.
But if we never consult God on His purpose for us, how can we ever fulfill it? If we don’t know His plans, how can we make our plans?
We may feel frustrated and upset when our plans fall through, but those plans are the ones that we didn’t talk to God about. They are the ones that we ran off on our own with, leaning on only our own strength and understanding.
Sometimes these plans are jobs or moves, life events that disappoint. And sometimes they are bigger and more heartbreaking – relationships and marriages, or irrevocable actions. Without God’s purpose in mind, our plans can have painful consequences.
Following God instead of Ourselves
Let God take the lead in your planning this year. Consult him in all things, big or small, so you know that the plans you make are in harmony with God’s purpose for you.
Our happiness isn’t found in earthly goals that we come up with ourselves. Our real satisfaction and contentment in life can be found in living out the grand purpose God set for us long before we were born.
Have a blessed Monday and Happy New Year!
Looking for some more encouragement and inspiration today? Take a look at these posts:
Inspirational Monday: When Plans Fall Through
Leave a Reply