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 and brag. All such boasting is evil.
~ James 4:13-16 (NIV)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Every January, most people begin to make plans for the year. We think about our resolutions and goals. We plan for vacations. We talk about home renovations. Think, plan, talk. Think, plan, talk. But what about prayer in all of that thinking, planning, and talking...hmm?
How much are we consulting and submitting to God in all of our planning for the year, huh? Sometimes, we tend to let our mind and our mouth (and sometimes our actions) fly off like a helium balloon that gets away from us. We talk big about that Caribbean cruise we're gonna take in the summer, or that new deck we're gonna build, or that great promotion we're gonna get. God says that's just a lot of bragging, and it's not good.
In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps. ~ Proverbs 16:9
We can talk all we want about what we're gonna do, but God is in charge, and frankly, we need to be really glad about that. Things we think are good for us often aren't. Places we want to go, sometimes we shouldn't. Things we want to do might not be a good idea in the long run. God knows what's good and best for us. And His will will be accomplished. You can bet on that.
You may decide that moving to Texas to start a business is absolutely the right thing to do, and so you do it. You sell your home, pack up the house and move. But let me tell you something: If God is not in the midst of this plan, my friend, you are in for a rude awakening when you hit the Lone Star State! You may find roadblock after roadblock and quickly come to the realization that you were running WAY ahead of God and not listening to Him at all.
But there's good news even in our decision disasters...
God is still sovereign, and He can turn lemon-aide out of the lemons of our lives! When we get proud in our life decisions and do things ahead of Him, He's right there to help us pick up the pieces and make good use of them. In the midst, we learn to truly acknowledge Him in our plans, giving Him the control, letting Him lead, knowing that He's got the big picture and the best plan.
So, go ahead -- think and dream about 2009! And then pray. Pray with open hands and a willing heart. You may be surprised to find that God's dreams for you are even bigger than your own. Or you may find that you and He are on the same page! Either way, God makes the call and you know you're headed in a great direction.
It's okay to soar like a helium balloon, as long as God's holding the string...
Love,
Joelene
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment