Unwinding God’s Vision – Week Four

I love a plan. When I have a plan, it makes me feel secure – I know where I am going, and I know how to get there. In many respects, this can be an asset – it helps me organize, to lead well, contribute to the teams I am a part of, and accomplish my goals. However, my love for planning also gets me in trouble, especially when it comes to unwinding God’s vision.

There is a pattern I have seen repeated in my life – not just in previous years, but right now, in my current season. Maybe you can relate: First, I sense God leading my heart in a specific direction, and I surrender and commit to following Him. As I begin to take steps of faith and plan toward this new desire, I come up with a road map to follow. Then, if I don’t see certain things fall into place, I get frustrated, I question God, and I get stuck.

Somewhere along the way, I have put God in a box and given Him an agenda to follow. I get so focused on my schedule and the way I think that God’s plan should unfold, without realizing it, I turn down God-opportunities. Why? Because they don’t fit the style I believe God should be working in. They don’t line up with my plan. Or I can’t wrap my mind around them.

I tend to confuse plans and vision. A vision is big picture providing us with guiding principles and overall direction. A plan is detailed, showing us what steps to take and when we should take them. To carry out a vision, you absolutely need a plan. But having a plan does not mean you are fulfilling a vision. In reality, if you don’t check along the way, your plan can actually carry you away from your vision.

Plans change.

Plans are not the goal.

Plans are a means to an end.

When I measure my success by the execution of my life plan, I often find myself frustrated and defeated. When I hold tightly to the order I have determined, I don’t appreciate God’s surprises. When I am too focused on my agenda, I am most likely overlooking God’s priorities.

So what is the answer? Is it to stop trying because we might get it wrong? Or to stop planning because we may get confused along the way? Definitely not.

Through the book of James, the Bible addresses this same concern. James provides his readers with a scenario – a group of people are boasting that they are going to go to a certain place, will engage in business, and then return a profit. James warns, “you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.’” (James 4:13-15 NASB)

Do you see the shift? It is not in the plans that were made but rather their perspective. These men and women were placing their confidence in their ideas and abilities. James instructs them to put God first. Their plans need to align with God’s way.

I am learning that moving forward often means letting go. God’s will must be my highest priority, not my plans. My agenda cannot be where I find my confidence, that should be in God’s character and leadership.

Unwinding God’s vision always includes surrender. Today is the day I need to listen, learn how God is directing, and align myself to that vision.

Don’t miss something new because you are holding on to your way.