Tuesday: Planning Ahead
Read James 4:13. (Compare Luke 12:13-21.) How do we balance prudent planning for the future with our need to live each day in expectation of Christ’s imminent coming? How can we avoid the trap of merely building bigger barns
?
Image © Krieg Barrie from GoodSalt.com
It may seem very reasonable to plan a year in advance or even more. Businesses commonly have short-, medium-, and long-range plans. Individuals and families need to save for the future and to make provision for unexpected expenses. On the other hand, we also believe that Jesus is coming soon and that, someday, all of our earthly possessions will be consumed by flames (see 2 Pet. 3:10-12).
These two approaches to life are not necessarily in conflict. Someone has said, Plan as if Christ were not coming for years but live each day as if Christ were coming tomorrow.
This is good as far as it goes, though long-term planning can make it difficult to take one day at a time. Many of Jesus’ hearers (and no doubt many Christians today) would consider that the rich man who decided to build bigger barns was prosperous because God was blessing him. But Jesus reveals to us the man’s inner thoughts:
(Luke 12:19, NKJV). In short, his overarching concern was to lay up treasure for himself.soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry
Most important, rather than making our plans too definite, Instead you ought to say,
(James 4:15, NKJV). This means more than simply appending If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that
d.v.
(Deo volente, Latin for God willing
) to the end of a sentence about our future plans. It means we should submit all our plans to God. We can pray: God, I want to know Your will. If you are not pleased with these plans, please show me.
Then, if our plans are not good, God will show us that-as long as we remain attentive and willing to correct our plans or even change them entirely.
Read again James 4:13. Though on the surface nothing really seems wrong with what is being said, obviously there’s a problem-not in what the people want to do but in their attitude about it. How can we be careful not to get caught up in that same attitude, even subconsciously?
(16)
Surely the basic way the spiritual or Christian forecast differs from the worldly or secular projection is in the role of the Omniscient (All Knowing) God in the planning. Not only is the Holy Spirit to be consulted in individual, family or group planning sessions, but the plans ought to keep heaven involved (Galatians 5:16).
It is possible to commence a planning session with prayer and then proceed to make forecasts which revolve around the material enrichment of individuals or serve to exalt mankind or bring glory to the planners. In other words God’s blessing is sought, but His participation is not required (Isaiah 29:13).
The awards ceremony may be organized simultaneously with the project. There are visions of the names of committee members etched in stone or on a plaque. The arm of flesh dominates and sight instead of faith is the principal or only driver (2 Corinthians 4:18).
If plans are designed above all to glorify God (1 Corinthians 10:31) it is likely they will live on even if the lives of the planners are unexpectedly cut short or forgotten. As well the less plans depend on individual longevity the greater the role which might be found for God.
We cannot know in advance the full breadth of God’s will, but if we plan on the basis of His already revealed will we are probably headed in the right direction and will be more open to correcting course as the Spirit leads, even if that means giving way to others.
How to know God’s will in your life by Morris Venden
Eight steps for those who have committed their life to the LORD
Rom 12:1-2 – living sacrifice, know the will of God
Phililppians 2:13 – to will & do in your lives
DA 668 – identify his will with our will
Do not depend on one step alone, create a Portfolio and put all info collected from each step into the Portfolio before you make a decision.
Step 1
Have no will of your own
Negative – Balaam – Num 22-24
Positive – Jesus – Mt 26:39
Step 2
Don’t depend on your feelings only
2 Tim 1:7 – not spirit of fear
John 10:4 – his sheep know His voice
Diff between feelings & impression of HS
According to Scripture?
Guilt or Conviction
Focus – glory to the LORD or me
Step 3
Consult God’s Word for principles and communication
Ps 119:105 – lamp to my feet
Ps 32:8 – I will instruct, teach & guide you
2 Tim 3:16 – all Scripture profitable
In your normal daily devotion you will find texts that apply specifically to your situation.
Do not just open & point – Matt 27:5, Lu 10:37
Browse and notice a highlighted passage
Step 4
Providential circumstances
Deut 8:2 – remember how the Lord has led you
How he has led you in the past, write down major events in your life
Is this the next step towards a goal or maybe a change of goal
Divine appointments (at the right time) people cross your path (woman at well) John 4
God can turn trials into stepping stones to achieve his purpose (Joseph) Gen 37-47
Step 5
Consult Godly friends
Eg Moses’ father in law, Ex 18:23,24
Step 6
Pray specifically for guidance
James 1:5 – lack wisdom, ask
Philip 4:6,7 – present requests, get peace
Hezekiah – Isa 37:14-20
Daniel 9:3-23 – God sent an angel to give him understanding
Step 7
Take sufficient time & consider all steps then make a decision and tell the LORD
Moses & golden calf – Ex 32:26 – who is on the Lord’s side
Joshua – Jos 24:15 – choose ye this day
Elijah –1 Kings 18:21 – choose God or Baal
Ps 95:7,8 – Today if you will hear His voice
Matt 6:24, Rom 6:16 – cannot serve two masters
Step 8
Step out in faith (Jordan) and invite the LORD to stop you if you are wrong
And watch for the swinging doors.
Rev 3:7,8 – open/close doors
Acts 16:6-10 – stopped – called
Caleb – the journey with God in the wilderness is as important as reaching the Promised Land
NB: God’s timing takes into consideration His plans for our whole life
And our place in His plans for the Universe
With thanks to George Mueller & Morris Venden
The way this is written, I take great exception to Step 1: "Have no will of your own."
It is only by our will, i.e. the power of choice, that we can surrender ourselves to God. "Have no will of your own" sounds too much like there's no part for us to play, that we are passive in the process of salvation.
The surrender of the soul to Christ is the work of the individual, and it depends on our will, our power of choice.
Perhaps Venden did not mean it the way he wrote it, but perhaps this "Step 1" explains why some misunderstood Venden and made shipwreck of their lives. (I know of a few.)
I agree any writer may be misunderstood.
These steps are for people who have already chosen to surrender their lives to God and have a decision to make, like for instance should I take this job offer, and would like to find out what God's will is in respect of this step in their lives.
If you read the story of Balaam which is referenced in the first step you will note that he really wanted to go and earn all that treasure and so although he kept asking God what he should do he wasn't really open to hearing what God was telling him.
While the opposite was Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane where he didn't really want to drink the cup but He said 'not my will but they will be done'
James 4:13 is certainly important to keep in mind. Things do indeed change rapidly and our finest plans can crumble overnight. On the other hand there is an interesting set of examples that Jesus gave concerning counting the cost of discipleship.
Who is it that does not first consider the most effective way to evangelize or what fool attempts to enter the ministry of the church without first knowing anything about it. The entire great controversy was laid out before anything was created - the cross was planned from the beginning. Likewise we are to plan to the best of our ability. A haphazard, unorganized effort in the Lord's work does not glorify God because it usually ends up being confusion to do so, "For God is not the author of confusion but of peace" (1 Cor. 14:33 NKJV).
Organization takes planning as does our choice of education. There needs to be direction in our lives and that is something we cannot do effectively by flipping a coin. God gave us a mind far above that of animals to use for benefit. We still have to a large degree the image of God to create for His glory just as Jesus created for glory but we can't do that without making some plans or having at least some idea of what to do or what direction to go in.
Whenever we make a choice whether we know it or not we are planning. To me that is the purpose for our lives - that is what worship is all about - a conscious, well thought out choice in a particular direction.
Jut like when we talk about being judgmental and God asks off us to do some introspection, we are shamed to find how often we judge others--even without a second thought. The subconscious is how we can analyze our true character. Just like in our dreams, we have to keep an open-honest line of communication with God in order to surrender every part of our selves. Otherwise, before we know it, self's influence will creep back into our decision making.
The world teaches us to fight for control of the future so that you don't end up at the bottom and without resources. However the difference between God and Satan, and is that God seeks to save ll; there is no survival of the fittest. So our view of the future should be different. We should not fear it so much, because it is not completely in our hands. It's not all on us. THANK the LORD! I think what the lesson pointed out about being flexible is the heart of the matter. Go with God's flow guys! (Proverbs 3:5)
It will not be easy, depending on our character flaws, to go with God's flow, but that is how we can plan without fear. Plan with flexibility for God to work. Plan within God's will. God promises to reign in ALL of our thoughts. From the one hidden in that one dark corner to the one in the forefront of your mind. He can handle them all and praise God that he can!
When it comes to planning I like the serenity prayer attributed to Reinhold Niebuhr:
Maybe we should distinguish between what should be planed and what shouldn't. Certainly the parable about the rich man accumulating wealth is appropriate here:
To me there is no doubt that when the planning is solely about self it is not the kind of planning God desires. There seems to be, however, a kind of planning that God not only indorses but actually expects us to have such as the use of our talents where we should invest them to His glory (Matt 25:14-30). In that parable Jesus is not talking only about money but also about all the gifts that come from God including time, education and mental abilities, health, etc.
Ellen White also had a lot to say about planning:
The one thing she seemed to be more against than anything else is when leaders try to micromanage those under them so that they are not allowed to think and plan for themselves and end up becoming mere robots of someone else's thinking. There is a whole section of her counsel on this in Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers toward the end of chapter 11 linked here.
I also think that we should not separate our lives into the secular and spiritual.
Every goal should be spiritual.
Every plan for the future should be made with a view to further Jesus' cause in the Great Controversy.
Eg. Choosing to better oneself academically should be with a view not to have a comfortable life, but to be of even more service to others.
This of course comes to the issue of motives which only Jesus can reveal and change.
I enjoy very much all the comments, im in the position when my live is unstable,but I know He is with me all time. God is so good that send the msg when I need the most. God Bless you all!!