Workbox 03: Why the Goal Outweighs the Plan

Prioritizing the right things over my things.

I have had several conversations over the past month. The topic has been the upcoming plans my wife and I are making for the new year. We are expecting our firstborn in December and then planning a move in the following spring. The discussions I have with friends and discipleship meetings with my students always come back to the same phrase; the goal is to honor the Lord, and the plans are subject to that. These conversations, though usually directed towards the person I am talking to, also serve as a reminder for myself. I believe that that is something that God can do and is doing, using the words of encouragement I give someone as a reminder for myself.

What I mean by saying "the goal is to honor that Lord" is simple. Even though my wife and I have many plans, our ultimate goal is the same no matter where we end up. Our goal is not to achieve our ends; instead, it is to honor the Lord. The Preacher in Ecclesiastes sums it up nicely for me when he says in Chapter 12, "The end of the matter has been heard, fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man." We, humans, are planners; we are finite and can only see so far down the road of life. We need to make plans and make small strategic steps forward. Sometimes we get caught up in fearfully planning for the future, afraid of what may come, so we only plan for the worse. Other times, we do not plan enough, choosing rather to "live life to the fullest" by seeking experiences and not getting caught up in the whole thinking thing. Both are wrong ways of going about things. We need a blend of the two, creating a new God-honoring and ordained way of planning and living. 

This different way of planning can be found in James 4. He gives us the key to thinking ahead by reminding us of the past. Here is the quote:

Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit"— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that." James 4.13-15 (ESV)

James states that we must subject our wills and plans to the Lord. Notice that he does not tell us to stop planning altogether or sit on our hands and wait for something to happen. He means we live with open hands and move forward through life, trusting God. Also, notice the allusion to Ecclesiastes. One of the objectives of Ecclesiastes is to remind the reader that he is a vapor, a breath, a transient doomed to die human being. This reminder is important because it provokes us to think about how we live in this life in light of that fact. 

James reminds us that we do not know very much. In verse 16, he writes, "All such boasting is arrogance." Meaning that to declare that we will accomplish all that our heart desires is assuming too much for ourselves. This verse serves as a humbling reminder for the Christian because our ultimate goal is to honor the Lord. Proverbs offers us timely wisdom in Chapter 3 "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil." 

When we begin to think of our lives as offerings to God and ourselves as servants of Jesus, it begins to make sense that we should operate under the will of a higher authority, Jesus Christ. The Word of God is full to the brim of how we are to live. Although there is nothing explicitly in there about which job to choose or what sweater to wear on any given day, there are many principles in the Bible that guide us to make wise decisions. Our finitude serves as a reminder to trust in the Lord, not to go it alone. 

Another example is the Apostle Paul. In Acts 16, Paul and the others attempted to go somewhere, but the Spirit did not allow them. I do not know what the disallowance looked like, but it set them up to obey what the Spirit told them to do next. Their plans did not succeed, but their goal was to obey God, so it was a no factor for them. Not going somewhere means they got to honor the Lord somewhere else. This passage is our example. Even when we do not understand, we trust. When we do not see what lies ahead, we look to Jesus. I am not saying that this is easy, but it is right. I am learning to do this, trusting in the Lord and committing my ways to him. Knowing the character of God is very important. He gave us his Word and His Son. If he did that for us, how much more will he give us? God is good, and all his ways are excellent. We can trust him to carry us through all life's situations. Psalm 23 gives us a wonderful picture of the Lord as my shepherd. Can we trust him to shepherd us? We certainly can. He is infinitely trustworthy.

"The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2  He makes me lie down in green pastures.

He leads me beside still waters.

3  He restores my soul.

He leads me in paths of righteousness

for his name's sake.

4  Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil,

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff,

they comfort me.

5  You prepare a table before me

in the presence of my enemies;

you anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows.

6  Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

all the days of my life,

and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD

forever."