Guardrails for My Plans

Read: Proverbs 21

"The plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage, but everyone who is hasty comes surely to poverty." Proverbs 21:6

Examine:

Slowing down and putting a plan in place is truly the wise way to go. There is simply no way to read the Bible and not see that God honors wise plans and hard work. But the plans of man come with three guard rails: 1) God cares more about the heart of a man than He cares about the plans of a man. 2) Man prepares his plan, but in the end it is God who directs the outcome. 3) Any plan that does not account for helping the poor is a short-sighted plan.

Apply:

A large part of my life is spent planning for things. I look at chaos and God has gifted me with the ability to harness the potential of a messy situation and get it moving in the right direction. I love to bring a plan together and see it put into action. As much as I love to plan and no matter how good I get at doing it, I need to remember these three guard rails. God looks past what is on paper and He sees the truth in my heart. If my heart is not pure, then the fruit of the plan will be tainted. He will slow the process down and allow time for my heart to get aligned with his.

It does not matter how hard I plan or how well I craft the plan, I have to understand that the results are still in God's hands. Instead of becoming frustrated or allowing panic to come crashing in when things go awry, I have to remember that it is God's hand directing the outcome. I need to learn to slow down, look to Him, and trust that He is in control.

In the end, God does not put His stamp of approval or His provision of empowerment on any self-centered plan. If my plans do not contain heart-felt sacrifices for the poor then God will not sustain the plan. Plans designed only for the pleasure of the planner are short-sighted and ill-fated.

Pray:

The frustrations of life are the places that I most clearly see the shape and content of my heart. I am grateful today that You look past the plans I create and see the true intentions of my heart. Over the past 10 years I have watched You frustrate my plans and wreck many of my dreams. During that process, I have experienced seasons of anger, confusion, and frustration. I have cried out to You and griped against You as the pain of dying dreams shattered my heart.

Looking back, I realize the messiness that was my heart. If you had blessed my plans, my life would have imploded. I don't have any doubt that the success I sought ten years ago would have cost me my wife and my family. The plans I had would have only led to my disaster. I look at the man I am today and compare him to the man I was then. Thank You for Your patience and faithfulness. I would not trade my life today for anything I dreamt of in the past.

I still have a long way to go. There is much in my life that disgusts me and I know that there are still secret places in my heart that You desire to redeem. I cherish the journey and value Your work above all else in my life. I submit to You today every plan, every desire, and every dream and ask that You crush them and replace them with a deeper hunger to see You have more of me.