What About My Plans?

By nature I am one that loves to plan everything out. I have been known to spend hours preparing and plotting out courses of action for future success. I have lived by the motto, "to fail to plan is to plan to fail". Oh how untrue and incorrect this saying is.


Through time spent in fellowship with the Lord, I have learned (through trial and lots of error I might add) that all the natural planning in the world is pointless without the guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is very easy to lay out a map to success, but if Jesus is not in the driver's seat there is no guarantee we'll end up at God's desired location. And let's face it, if we are not aiming for God's desired location then what's the point of the trip?

We often say to God, "Lord, I'll go where you want me to go. I'll do what you want me to do." Well what if He wants to you to go to a remote country and devote yourself totally to mission work? Are you willing to go? What if He wants you to quit your job and devote yourself to ministering to the homeless? Are you willing to do it? Are you willing to abandon ALL of your plans for God's plans?

When I was first asked this question, I could not readily answer it. Not because my heart did not want to do the will of the Father, but because I have recently gained a deeper understanding of what that means. It is easy to say yes Lord when we only have a surface level of understanding as to what He is calling for, but what about when we gain a deeper level of understanding? Remember, in all of our getting, we are to get an understanding.

For me, saying "Yes Lord" means laying down my every desire, hope, and dream for the future. The home I've dreamed about since I was a teenager. The career that is literally at my fingertips. The "good life" we see here on Earth. It means going to God DAILY and laying those things down. It means turning down opportunities that the Father says turn down. It means moving to a place I had no desire to move to so that He could be glorified through my service. It means serving the people with no hope or expectation of anything in return. It means forgoing my favorite movies and television programs to spend time alone with him. It means doing the hard things he presses upon my heart to do. It means making the conscience choice to be obedient to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. It means literally burying ALL of my plans, and asking the Father to impregnate me with His. I am no longer my own. I have been made new by the Father, and it is my prayer that He will continually make me over until I look like Him.

Because my view of the future is limited, I cannot make the BEST decision concerning my future. Me planning my future is like a person attempting to draw a strip map to a location to which they have never been. God however, in His infinite wisdom is all knowing, and all seeing. He sees what lays ahead, so when draws the strip map, He takes me directly to the location He has called me to. When he leads, I will never make a wrong turn, and I will reach His desired location in His perfect timing!

What about my plans? I ripped them up. When I reviewed them in better lighting I saw mistakes all over the blueprints. They were worthless. I have adopted Heavenly blueprints, and though I can not see or even understand every phase, I know the result will be a beautiful masterpiece for I know the Master's thoughts toward me. He has thoughts of peace towards me and He desires to give me an expected end! (Jeremiah 29:11)