Women have a reputation for creating multiple plans, especially in relationships. When plan "A" fails, we are generally ready to move on to our plan "B" (disclaimer - this is not about the morning after pill). Often our plan "B" is already a part of God’s plan A. What is a plan? According to Webster's Dictionary: a plan is a detailed method for the accomplishment of a purpose.
I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for. (Jeremiah 29:11)
When God created Adam, He gave him a plan that included being fruitful, multiplying, and taking dominion (Genesis 1:26-28). After Adam sinned, the plan didn’t change for Adam or Eve, just how it was to be accomplished.
I polled a few women at my church and asked them how do they plan their lives. Here are a few of their responses:
"Set a goal and work backwards with the steps necessary to accomplish that goal" "Look around to see who else is doing what I want to do and model things after them" "Pray and fast" "Think about my life and set goals with my family" "Sometimes I am motivated by fear of certain consequences so I plan to avoid issues" God has skillfully and inventively created a plan just for you. Don’t keep creating the plan B’s. Get back to God’s plan A. Sometimes that plan A includes some suffering. Some of us have adopted a mindset about God that only expects the “good”. We forget that that the gospel requires us to partake of Christ and his sufferings (Phil 3:10; I Peter 4:13). Trouble, sufferings, and pain are not indications that you have missed God.
God is the master planner and He knows what He is doing. Our job is to trust Him! The Greek word for enthusiasm means that God has placed something inside of us that he is chasing after. He is coming after the plans he has for us: our hope, expected end, and our future.
Reflective thoughts:
How did you plan for your life to go?
Did you even have a plan or are you just marking time?
Things may not be going the way you thought, but God’s plan is still in effect.
Your plan B is all a part of His plan A.
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