I deeply long to live to a life that is marked by a "walk of faith." I don't want to have all the answers before deciding to do something "risky" for the Lord. I believe, with all of my heart, that the safest place to be is in the center of God's will for my life. I believe with all of my heart that "whatever is worth living for is also worth dying for" (Jim Elliot quote). I deeply desire to fight against the American dream that calls out to me. I don't want to retire and "collect seashells on the shore" (John Piper reference from Don't Waste Your Life). I do not believe in the prosperity gospel, neither do I believe in the poverty gospel.
I just want to follow Jesus. I just want to know God more. I want to do what my Heavenly Father wants me to do. I want to be a woman of the Word because I want to know more of the person the Word reveals. Maybe you can relate.
In light of these heart desires, how do we reconcile the wisdom of making plans with walking by faith? Is it unfaithful on our end to make plans? Is blind faith Biblical?
I've spent a lot of time turning this question over in my heart and mind. Just a "heads up" this blog post contains a lot of Scripture references -- That's where I've parked to answer this question.
Faith.
"Walk by faith"
"Have faith"
"God will come through, no plan needed"
We can hear these types of churchy sayings. It's been a source of confusion for me at times, if I'm being real. This is part of the reason, I've paused to really wrestle through this topic. It's weighed on me. These sayings are, in part, true, but it's important to also clarify that faith doesn't exist without an object of the faith. Perhaps our focus shouldn't be so much on faith itself, but the object of the faith. What are we walking by faith in? In other other words: faith in what? What are we trusting here? If the focus is not Jesus Christ himself, it's in vain. Our faith is in a who.
Adventure, good works, justice missions, other people are all good things (they can even be Godly things), but they are not the object of our faith. We walk by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7) by putting our trust in the finished work and person of Jesus Christ. The Who, Jesus, being the basis of our faith is crucial.
Paul, the greatest missionary that has ever lived, planned out his missionary journeys. (2 Corinthians 1&2, Acts 13&14)
Yet, James 4: 13-16 reads...
"Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil."
So, how do we reconcile these verses in James with what Paul did? Is God's Word in conflict with itself? No, it can't be because our God is consistent. We need to see the heart of the concepts the Lord is showing us.
Let's zoom in on James 4:15 from the passage above,
"Instead, you ought to say, 'If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that."
Earlier in the very same chapter of James 4 verses 6&7 say,
"God opposes the proud but gives favor to the humble. Submit yourselves, therefore to God."
The message here is clear:
Our hearts' postures matter. Be humble by acknowledging that you are not the one at the helm of your own life. Our very own lives, the ministries God has called us to -- we are but stewards, He is the owner. Our lives are not ours, but His. Humility matters.
Go ahead and make plans, Scripture, especially Proverbs, has much to say about the goodness of planning, and the wisdom of inviting other believers into your planning (see just a few of those below) but submit those plans to His loving headship.
Proverbs 21:5
"The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance,
but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty."
Proverbs 15:22
"Without counsel plans fail, but
with many advisers they succeed."
Proverbs 11:14
"Where there is no guidance, a people falls,
but in an abundance of counselors there is safety."
Proverbs 12:15
"The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,
but a wise man listens to advice."
Luke 14:28-30
"For which of you, desiring to build a tower,
does not first sit down and count the cost,
whether he has enough to complete it?
Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is
not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying,
‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’"
Psalm 90:12
"So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom."
Plans allow you to move through life and ministry with intentionality. This is especially beneficial in the collaborative work of ministry with other believers. In so doing everyone knows their roles and can serve in unity, love, and feel empowered to do the task the Lord has set before them with joy and enthusiasm.
We can see that plans are affirmed in Scripture. But we have to simultaneously acknowledge that, as believers, in tandem with making plans, we have to hold them loosely. The Spirit of God has all authority to change our plans. He may lead you to take a steep left, or tell you to take an unexpected right. Helping your neighbor may not be on Tuesdays "to-do" list, but the Spirit has the authority to interrupt our to-do lists.
Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Moses, the prophets, Rahab (and others mentioned in Hebrews 11) by faith they pleased God. Their reverent fear of WHO God was affected their actions. They took risks He told them to take, out of obedience to "the Who" behind the opportunities he set before them. Basically, they trusted God and because of that trust, they did things in faith that pleased Him.
This is why Elisabeth Elliot's focus on obedience being the measure of our success and not the outcome itself being the measure of our success is so powerful to me. Obedience is directly tied to the person behind the command being given. Reverent fear for the WHO is the basis for successfully walking by faith, not the actual mission at hand.
It's about the relationship, not the actual task. It's a trust thing... in a person, that person is Jesus.
Plans become sinful when the plan becomes the god. When the plan is "at the helm" and not the Lord. This doesn't mean we shouldn't plan. It just means, if the Lord is not free to change the plan at any point as He sees fit in my life, then the plan is no longer a God-honoring tool but a tool of sin. God has all authority in heaven and on earth to change our plans. Plan and walk by faith - it's a both/and.
A few Scriptures to center our hearts on WHO is in control:
Proverbs 16:9
"The heart of man plans his way,
but the Lord establishes his steps."
Proverbs 19:21
"Many are the plans in the mind of a man,
but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand."
I pray this post encourages you to make plans to serve the Lord, and to stay humble with those plans, knowing that the King of the Universe has all authority over them. May we live yielded lives, in light of his love. He is trustworthy. I pray my life is a gratitude offering poured out to Him. I think you probably want the same thing.
If your schedule allows, I'd love for you to pray through this prayer with me now.
Lord, we lay our plans on your altar, find us faithful in our planning but also submissive to You in our planning. May our plans always center around You and Your purposes and not around our own wealth, fame, or selfish purposes. It is all about You, Lord. May our plans reflect a yielded heart, and may our grips be loose on our plans. We choose to live in total surrender to your loving authority in our lives trusting that "he who began a good work in us will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ."(Phil 1:6)
Lord, in your mercy would you "Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul."(Psalm 143:8) You have all authority over my plans. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are your ways higher than my ways and your thoughts than my thoughts."(Isaiah 55:9) You, Father, are "the Lord of hosts; you are wonderful in counsel and excellent in wisdom."(Isaiah 28:9). I bow down to your sovereignty and providence over my life.
Lord, we praise you for seeing us and caring about us. You are supreme in sovereignty and you see so much more than we see. We trust that you "will supply every need of ours according to your riches in glory in Christ Jesus."(Phil 4:19) You know our hearts desires to honor and serve you, Lord. We know that you say, "without faith it is impossible to please you, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him."( Hebrews 11:6) We seek you now, reward us, Lord, according to YOUR plan which is our hearts greatest desire. Find us faithful, Lord.
We love you. In Jesus' name, Amen.
This is such an encouragement ❤️