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"If the Lord wills..."
Plans, activities, projects. All about the future. «Tomorrow I will
do this and that». «At the such and such day I will go there». «On
the so and so day of this month I will start this job». Making plans
and having a vision for the future has nothing wrong in itself. What
is wrong however is to make plans that we do not submit to the Lord
and for which we do not seek His approval. James tells us concerning
this:
James 4:13
«Come now, you who say, «Today or tomorrow we will go
to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell and make a
profit» whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For
what is your life? It is even a vapour that appears for a little time
and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, «If
the Lord wills, and live we will do this and that.» But now
you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil»
In
making plans, there is a very important «if» that should never be
missed: «If the Lord wills, and live we will do this and that.»
It is not arrogant to make plans. What is arrogant is to behave like
having total authority over the realisation of these plans i.e. like
having authority over tomorrow. As we all know, none of us has such
authority. «You do not know what will happen tomorrow»
An
example of good planning is given by Paul in Acts 18:21. There we find
him in Ephesus, greeting the local believers on his way to Jerusalem:
Acts 18:20-21
«When they asked him to stay a longer time with them, he did
not consent, but took leave of them, saying, «I must by all means
keep this coming feast in Jerusalem; but I will return again to you, GOD
WILLING»
and again in I
Corinthians 16:5-7, concerning the church of Corinth this time:
1
Corinthians 16:5-7
«Now I will come to
you when I pass through Macedonia (for I am passing through
Macedonia). And it may be that I will remain, or even spend the winter
with you, that you may send me on my journey wherever I go. For I do
not wish to see you now on the way; but I hope to stay a while with
you, IF THE LORD PERMITS»
«If the Lord permits»,
«God willing», «if the Lord wills» should accompany every plan we
make. Every plan we make should be delivered to the hands of the Lord.
He also has a plan for our life. As Jeremiah 29:11 says:
Jeremiah 29:11
«For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, says the
Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future
and a hope»
Also Isaiah 55:8-9
«For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your
ways My ways» says the Lord. For as the heavens
are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and
my thoughts than your thoughts»
And Psalms 40:5
«Many, O Lord my God, are Your wonderful works which
you have done; AND YOUR THOUGHTS TOWARD US CANNOT BE RECOUNTED TO YOU
IN ORDER; IF I WOULD DECLARE AND SPEAK OF THEM, THEY ARE MORE
THAN CAN BE NUMBERED»
Ephesians 3:20-21
«Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that
we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be
glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and
ever. Amen»
Do
you think much about yourself and your future? Well, God thinks much
more. HIS THOUGHTS ABOUT YOU, ARE MORE THAN CAN BE NUMBERED! They are
uncountable! If your plans were not fulfilled and want to say «why
God?» and show how beautifully YOU had planned your life, just
remember how higher are His plans from yours. Remember that His
thoughts for you are more than can be numbered and these are thoughts
of peace and not evil. If there was something the Lord didn’t bless
is not because He overlooked you nor because He doesn’t love you but
because it was not His perfect and acceptable will for your life. His
will and plans for you are indeed PERFECT.
To
conclude, certainly it is not wrong to make plans. However do make
sure that in your plans and in your attitude towards them, you add the
«God willing» condition or as Christ said: «not as I will but as
YOU WILL» (Matthew 26:39)
Tassos Kioulachoglou
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