Best Laid Plans

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

The saying goes that when we fail to plan, we plan to fail. And that’s true in so many areas of life. For example, a student has a better chance for a passing grade if they get an early start on their studies rather than cramming the night before the test. A young couple is more likely to become homeowners if they’re diligent about saving for a down payment. And taking full advantage of your employer’s 401(k) can help render a comfortable retirement.

Our plans, however, are linked closely to our priorities. For example, some people might live to travel and find adventure. Some might live for pleasure, family, or friends. And still others might seek meaning through their careers. But since there’s no shortage of life-choices, what’s the best way to plan?

“God helps those who help themselves” is a familiar phrase that seems to answer that question. What’s more, it sounds like a proverb in the Bible. But you won’t find it there. And while it’s smart to be actively engaged in those big decisions of life, this well-intentioned advice misses out on the significant ways God moves and works:

“You don’t get what you want because you don’t ask God for it,” we read in the New Testament book of James. “And when you do ask he doesn’t give it to you, for you ask in quite the wrong spirit — you only want to satisfy your own desires.”

As Christ-followers, we first need to seek God’s guidance through prayer, Bible study, and the counsel of fellow Believers when it’s time to address those big decisions. Moreover, the resulting action should always be one that honors God. 

Have you planned for what’s most important in your life? Your Creator already has. So, start by seeking his will and seeing things from his perspective. Here’s how the apostle Paul admonished some of the first Christ-followers — as well as 21st-century Believers like you and me — through 1 Timothy 2:1-5:

“I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people — for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”