MONDAY MARCH 31ST: God Bless the Planner

I was born a planner.  It is something that gives me security.  I like to know exactly what is going to happen and when.  It comes in handy for group projects and school projects.  It gives structure to everyday life.  But sometimes it is my roadblock to living a full life in Christ.  Sometimes I am my roadblock to a full life in Christ.

So what then...should I give up planning altogether?  Is it wrong of me to make plans?  To want to know where I am going?  What my life will look like in 6 months...2 years?

When God says to trust the plans that He has for us, that is ultimate.  That is final.  His plans will prevail overall.  God constantly works in spite of people.  God works in spite of the brokenness of this world.

Should we not plan at all?  I believe that as Christians, God calls us to responsible with our lives.  We have this idea of what freedom in Christ means, and we often think it is just like cruisin' down I-65 in our Volkswagen van, just drifting from place to place until we fall into God's plan.

God calls us to be responsible.  To make choices every day.  He doesn't want us just to float, but He wants us to be willing to let go of our plans when we know they are nothing in comparison to His plans for us.  God may adjust our coordinates ever so slightly, or we may end up in a completely different hemisphere.

I know this to be true as well: God gives us desires.  God gives us passion for different things.  Each one unique just like we are.  For me, it is wholeness and wellness of the physical body.  For some it is music or computers.  He wants us to desire those things.  It is not wrong if we want to plan for those things to be a part of our lives.  But God will ultimately determine the course.

Have you ever had a travel agency plan a vacation or a trip you took?  It might seem scary at first - because you really don't know what you'll be getting in to.  And you don't really know if you are going to like it.  But the travel agency puts a lot of time and thought into a vacation that none of their workers is taking.  It is all for you.  And they want you to have the best possible vacation!  That is kind of how it works with God, except He is with you for the whole journey.  His plans are good.

~SP