"The plans of the diligent lead to profit, as surely as haste leads to poverty." Proverbs 21:5
My daughter came down the stairs of our home after her finals to enjoy a much-needed break from college. Although she needed a break mentally, her wallet was a completely different story. Because she didn't have a full-time job at college, she came home completely broke. She had picked up a job delivering food, but she often only worked a few hours a day. This didn't yield her the income she needed to pay for her semester of school.
After a few days of her loafing around the house, I became irritated. "Why aren't you working?" I blurted. She got mad, and we got into a heated argument. She couldn't understand why I wouldn't let her have a break from her demanding academic schedule. While there's nothing wrong with taking a break to get some much-needed rest, we can't rest forever. God worked six days and rested on the seventh.
He created the Sabbath as a twenty-four-hour period of rest. Although we sometimes need extended periods of mental, emotional, and physical rest, he doesn't want us to neglect our financial responsibilities. She understood that working would get her the money she needed for her college education, but she didn't seem to acquire a sense of urgency about getting it.
Many of us don't understand the urgency of many things in life. If it doesn't impact us directly, there's no need to worry about it. Additionally, we often live as if every day will be the same as the day before. However, we take many things for granted, including our spiritual, mental, and emotional freedoms.
God wants us to plan accordingly for every aspect of our lives. While there will always be drawbacks and obstacles that get in the way of us completing our plans, God never said we shouldn't plan at all. In fact, plans are essential. This verse reminds us that if we are diligent and good stewards of what God has given us, we'll plan to accomplish tasks and meet responsibilities effectively.
Take a moment and analyze your life. Are you someone who tends to procrastinate? Do you often wait until the last minute for everything in your life? Do you find that it gets you into trouble because you feel more emotionally and mentally stressed when you wait rather than when you plan and carry it out?
If we choose to procrastinate in life, it will only get us heartache. Those who plan for hardships and know that they will eventually come our way will be best equipped to handle what God throws at us. Scripture tells us that when much is given, much is expected. This means that God gives according to those who can handle it well. If you are someone who diligently handles the tasks and responsibilities that are given to you, God will give you more and increase your responsibilities. This is because he knows you can handle it.
This week, vow to plan for your life. As we enter a new year, there's no better time than any to create a plan for your life. Plan how you will achieve better health, improve your finances, deepen your spiritual growth, and strengthen your character. These, among many other areas of our lives, will only move forward and grow if we plan how we will achieve the goals we set for ourselves.
We need to show God that we are good stewards of what he has given us, including every area of our lives. Now is not the time to fall asleep mentally, spiritually, or even physically. Instead, let us plan and fulfill it, so that God will bless us in every area of our lives.
Father, let us be people who make plans and carry them through. Let us be people who use our time and resources wisely so that we can be good stewards in every area of our lives. Let us use our time wisely so that you may give us more responsibility, allowing us to demonstrate our sound stewardship. Amen.
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Related Resource: When God Feels Harsh or Distant: Gaining Peace Through Christ's Compassion
Many people know God is loving and kind—but struggle to feel or trust that love in their most wounded places. For those impacted by trauma, religious abuse, legalism, or deep loss, God can feel distant, harsh, or unsafe.
In this moving conversation, host Jennifer Slattery sits down with author Sherri Hughes Gregg to explore how Jesus consistently reveals Himself as tender, compassionate, and near to the brokenhearted. Together, Jennifer and Sherri model how we can wrestle respectfully with Scripture, release shame-laden interpretations, and encounter Christ as He truly is: the One who comforts, restores dignity, and brings beauty from ashes. If this episode helps you face fear with God's confidence, be sure to subscribe to Faith Over Fear on Apple or Spotify so you get new episodes every week!
Originally published Tuesday, 20 January 2026.
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