How to Properly Plan for Life

Do you know what you would like to achieve in life? 

As a young person, you probably have thought about this question often. Most young people pursue a career, hope to get married, find a nice place to live, and secure a comfortable, happy life. Other plans may include a short vacation, an activity on a Sunday afternoon, or working on a project with friends. How do you hope to achieve your dreams and your many plans for life?

We read in Proverbs 16:9: “A man’s heart plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.” Two things are mentioned in this verse: People make plans for what they desire in life, but God is also able to intervene and make adjustments to our life’s journey through various circumstances. 

What happens if our plans do not consider the will of God? What if we are unwilling to let Him to make adjustments to our path?

I recall visiting a city and seeing an unfinished bridge. The goal of the project was to improve traffic flow, and commuters anxiously awaited its completion. Tall concrete columns were poured to support the deck of the bridge. When it was discovered that the columns were sinking and that the bridge would be unsafe, the work stopped. A large sum of money had been spent. Now, the road, which had been designed to temporarily zigzag traffic around the bridge columns during construction, had become a permanent route. The original idea was good, but poor planning resulted in creating a greater problem, and its purpose was never achieved.

Many people approach their goals in life in a similar way. Their desires are reasonable; however, because they leave God out of their plans, their dreams turn into problems.

This kind of planning is found in the Bible in the story of Lot in the Old Testament. His goal to find good pastures for his animals was a reasonable desire. When he saw an opportunity to reach his goal, he quickly chose the area of Sodom and Gomorrah and departed from Abraham. He found a home with plenty of pasture for his animals and was pleased with how quickly his goal was achieved. How well did this plan work without God’s input? The very situation that was supposed to bring him lasting joy quickly turned into his deepest heartache. He found himself alone in a godless place, and soon he was fleeing the city with only his two daughters, having lost all he owned. Instead of God's blessing, Lot had to face the consequences of his poor decisions: devastating losses and the ensuing bitter grief.

Friend, how do you hope to reach your goals in life? Are your plans in harmony with the will of God?

We read: "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 vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that' " (James 4:13 – 15).

How can we include the will and guidance of God in our plans?

When you make plans, your intentions must agree with God’s desire for your life. 

If the plan contradicts God’s Word and requires you to sin, it will not carry His blessing or bring lasting joy. Absalom wanted to be king and chose a path of rebellion against his own father to achieve his goal. Instead of a crown, his path of sin brought death. Can this truth be applied to everyday life today?

Many young people have chosen a career, a university for study, a spouse, a more convenient place to live that has taken them far away from the positive influence of the local church. Despite the warning of fellow believers, people pursued their plans and later experienced spiritual harm and suffering because they ignored the warnings from God’s Word. When Daniel and Joseph faced decisions in life, they made obedience to God their priority. By choosing God's approval over man's, they opened themselves to God’s guidance, which resulted in rich blessings.

When you make plans seeking God’s guidance, you must learn to accept the roadblocks He may place along the way. 

We read in 1 Kings 22 that King Ahab had a plan to go to war. Unwilling to accept the warning that the Lord gave him, he perished in the battle. People’s plans have often brought devastation and failure because they were unwilling to change their mind when it lacked God’s approval. Instead of being grateful that God protected them from failure, they too often chose to rebel. The Tower of Babel, the prophet Balaam, Jonah’s plan to flee his assignment, or the jealous men who planned to destroy Daniel are just a few examples of an unwillingness to give up a bad plan. Maybe you had your heart set on a relationship, a desirable job, or the purchase of something you really wanted and it did not work out. In your disappointment, did you ever thank God for blocking that plan and then seek a better way? When making plans, ask God to give you strength to submit to His will should He choose to hinder you from making a great mistake.

Proper planning for life will require faith and patience in the way God leads. 

Being impatient with God and having little faith in His timing was the reason Sarah influenced Abraham to have a child with Hagar. This plan brought much grief into the marriage and home. Had the couple shown stronger faith, that God is indeed able to do what seems impossible at the moment, they could have seen how wonderfully God is able to fulfill His promises when patience and faith work together. 

After David had been anointed king, he waited for God to place him on Israel’s throne. There were times when the king-in-waiting was encouraged to kill King Saul, and it almost seemed as if God had given him the opportunity to do so. But David was unwilling to commit murder in order secure the throne. Instead, he let God direct his path and open the doors of opportunity when the time was right. Sometimes we feel that things need to happen now, and this is when we are in great danger of making mistakes. Patience and faith allow God to set up the situation perfectly and give us the courage and confidence to step forward when He opens the door. Perhaps you need the reminder from God’s word in your planning: “For ye have need of patience…” (Hebrews 10:36 KJV)?

When we allow God to direct our path and make changes to our plans, we will often experience things that are beyond our imagination. Keep in mind that sometimes God uses portions of our plan and adds to them. David had a desire to build the temple and began planning how to build it. When the prophet Nathan showed him it was not in the will of God, he allowed David to begin gathering material and included David’s son Solomon in the plan. Both were able to be involved in that historic project, and God’s presence filled the temple at its completion.

Dear reader, when we plan for things in life, it is important to remember that God’s leading will guide us into the best life possible for us. Certainly, good planning includes looking at your options and considering where each of those choices may take you. Ask yourself if the time is right and how this decision might influence your future. Is the plan realistic and are your motives pure? How will this plan influence your relationship with God? What are the steps that need to be taken in order to achieve your goal and give room for God’s input?

As you look ahead and consider your goals, I encourage you to leave room for God’s guidance in your plans for life.

H. Mueller

Seminole, TX