We sure love to make plans. For our day-to-day, vacations, our future families, everything. And while plans are not inherently bad, it's important to make sure your plans align with what God says in His Word. Here are three reasons to put God first in big plans and small.
Raise your hand if you thrive on checklists. Those of you who raised your hands prefer an ordered approach, receiving great satisfaction from ticking off every single item upon its completion. Other people like to fly by the seat of their pants, waiting until the last minute to accomplish whatever task is before them. It’s almost like the adrenaline rush ignites their brains into high functioning action.
I fall into the category of list-maker. At the beginning of the week, I enter everything I want to accomplish into my day planner. Some weeks are busier than others, but no matter the number of tasks, just knowing I have them written down on their allotted days brings a sense of order to my mind.
Vacations are where lists become my lifeline. A couple weeks ago I was in full list-making mode for our upcoming mini-getaway. First, I have my overall vacation prep to-do list. Then there are my sub-lists from the main categories. Once I have all my lists completed, I feel as though half the battle is over. All I have to do now is tick off the items, knowing that everything will be accounted for.
One area I don’t tend to plan so much is what we are going to do on vacation. Now that my husband and I are approaching the “almost retired years,” we tend to just go with the flow on vacation, letting the weather and the day dictate what we will do. You see, when I was younger, I planned out each day of vacation to the letter. But eventually I learned that plans can change, inevitably resulting in disappointment.
I guess you could say there are benefits to being a planner, especially in certain areas of life, but there are also benefits of a “go with the flow” approach.
What Does the Bible Say about Planning?
However, God’s Word has a few things to say about “plans.”
"The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps." Proverbs 16:9
"Prepare your work outside; get everything ready for yourself in the field, and after that build your house." Proverbs 24:27
“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’” Luke 14:28-30
As we see from these verses, we can plan all we want, but it is the Lord who ordains His plan for our lives. That’s not to be confused with never planning, as subsequent verses show the importance of having a plan. What these verses do highlight is the importance of putting God first in our plans. We must seek Him first before even putting pen to paper to devise a plan.
In the story of Joseph, when he and his brothers finally reunited and reconciled, the brothers were told to go get their father Jacob and bring him back to Joseph. When the brothers arrived to tell their father that not only was Joseph alive, but he had the means to save them from the famine, Jacob didn’t rush out the door to Egypt to see his long lost son; he stopped and sought the Lord first. “So Israel set out with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. And God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, ‘Jacob, Jacob.’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ Then He said, ‘I am God, the God of your father; do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also assuredly bring you up again; and Joseph will close your eyes.’” Genesis 46:1-4
I believe this passage shows three reasons we should always put God first in our plans. Let’s take a look.
1. God Will Make Himself Known
"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:13
The Lord promises that when we seek Him with our whole hearts, we will find Him. Can you imagine how our days would go, plans or not, if we sought the Lord first thing and gave our day to Him? Like Jacob, the Lord will make Himself known to us. It may be a sense of His presence or a calming peace and reassurance that comes over us.
In the bigger plans of life – like a new job, meeting “the one,” or moving – the Lord will make Himself known by giving you direction on what the next steps should be. How do we put Him first in our plans? We need only to be still, empty ourselves of our own desires, and instead desire what the Lord wills for those circumstances.
When we are in tune with the Lord, our plans will be His plans. The Holy Spirit may bring a verse to mind that speaks to your plans, or He may speak to us through His Word. In whatever capacity, the Lord still speaks and makes Himself known, especially when we put Him first in our plans.
2. God Will Guide You
"Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, 'This is the way; walk in it.’” Isaiah 30:21
Years ago, we visited the Grand Canyon. To say that nothing can prepare you for that experience is an understatement! We did the bus tour around the canyon and opted out of the hike down into the canyon because when we were there, the temperatures exceeded 100 degrees at the bottom. There were signs everywhere warning about the dangers of going down into the canyon without being prepared. Certain areas of the canyon can only be accessed with a guide because it can be so dangerous. To enter an area like that without a guide could mean certain death, or at the very least serious injury.
Before the worlds began, God had a plan for our lives. I know that sounds so cliche, but it’s true. He prepared works for us to do before we even took our first breath. So it stands to reason that all of our plans should include God in every aspect. The only way this happens is by putting Him first in our plans and following His lead.
Although all our plans won’t involve the possibility of certain death or serious injury, there are dangers that lurk for us everywhere, especially spiritually. When we set out to do something in our own plan and our own strength, we are allowing pride and self to rule, basically following Satan’s lead. That does not sound like a direction a Christian wants to go in.
When we invite God into our plans at the outset, He will guide us as we continue on that journey. We must stay in tune to His still small voice leading us. He will not steer us wrong. We may “hear” His voice through His Word, a sermon or a trusted believer’s wisdom. When you put God first in your plans, He will guide you along, staying with you through to completion.
3. God Will Bless Your Plans
"Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will succeed." Proverbs 16:3
There is a famous quote written by Robert Burns in his poem “To a Mouse” which says, "The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry". Indeed! As believers, when we don’t put God first in our plans, we are essentially saying, “I don’t need you Lord, I’ve got this.” How foolish would that be? We would be snubbing our noses at God’s blessing.
The Lord says, “’...I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.’" Jeremiah 29:11
The Lord knows our entire story, from beginning to end, because He wrote it! All of “our” plans, when they have their start with God, are part of God’s story for us. His Word tells us He desires to bless us abundantly. That is His plan for us.
When we put God first in our plans, we are coming into agreement with God’s plans for us. We are inviting Him to make Himself known through them, to guide us in them and to bless us because of them.
Photo credit: Unsplash/Tony Lomas
