Schedules, day planners, calendars, smart phones, and tablets; we surround ourselves with ways to plan our lives days, weeks, or even months ahead. A man's heart plans his way. I bet if you are reading this at work, (and I know some of you are), you can see at least 3 ways you plan your life from where you sit.
It's OK to plan things in this day and age in fact, if you don't then things get missed and opportunities are lost. Plans are ethereal, easily made and easily changed. They demonstrate our intents, our desires for the future. It doesn't matter if the desire is to meet with a client on a business proposal, or to have a family dinner with the ones we love; plans are what we want or need.
The important part is this; no matter what your desires, no matter what your plots, schemes, or plans, for good of for selfishness...
It's OK to plan things in this day and age in fact, if you don't then things get missed and opportunities are lost. Plans are ethereal, easily made and easily changed. They demonstrate our intents, our desires for the future. It doesn't matter if the desire is to meet with a client on a business proposal, or to have a family dinner with the ones we love; plans are what we want or need.
The important part is this; no matter what your desires, no matter what your plots, schemes, or plans, for good of for selfishness...
A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps. Proverbs 16:9
If you are a follower of Christ it means you follow where He directs you. It's OK to follow your heart, it's OK to make meetings and plans for the future. But whenever we plan our way we must measure it against the will of God. Sometimes it's a no-brainer:
"Should I go to church this Sunday?" Yes.
"I'm starting to run out of clean clothes, should I do some laundry?" Please.
Sometimes though, the way is not so easy for us:
"Should I tell my boss I messed up on the project even though it could cost me my job?" ...
"I think God is calling me into the mission field abroad, but I have a good job and I'm comfortable where I am right now." ...
"Should I marry this woman I think I'm in love with even though she thinks God is a myth?" ...
God directs our path, and He has given us the Word so that we have something to measure our hearts against. A way to see if the plans of our heart are in alignment with the direction of the Holy Spirit. Lets face it, if we didn't have God's Word and the Holy Spirit to keep us accountable, we could convince ourselves just about anything we want is God's will. How many wars, how much death and destruction, how much hate has been meted out in the name of God by those who did not measure their hearts desire against God's direction?
Use common sense and check yourself against God's Word. This is the only way to insure that you are walking an authentic life for Jesus Christ.
"Should I go to church this Sunday?" Yes.
"I'm starting to run out of clean clothes, should I do some laundry?" Please.
Sometimes though, the way is not so easy for us:
"Should I tell my boss I messed up on the project even though it could cost me my job?" ...
"I think God is calling me into the mission field abroad, but I have a good job and I'm comfortable where I am right now." ...
"Should I marry this woman I think I'm in love with even though she thinks God is a myth?" ...
God directs our path, and He has given us the Word so that we have something to measure our hearts against. A way to see if the plans of our heart are in alignment with the direction of the Holy Spirit. Lets face it, if we didn't have God's Word and the Holy Spirit to keep us accountable, we could convince ourselves just about anything we want is God's will. How many wars, how much death and destruction, how much hate has been meted out in the name of God by those who did not measure their hearts desire against God's direction?
Use common sense and check yourself against God's Word. This is the only way to insure that you are walking an authentic life for Jesus Christ.
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