My project for January is to build a deck. The first thing is to sit down and make a list of all the materials I think I will need. Next I go and buy what I need, and unload it close to where I need it but where it won’t be in the way of the work. If I put the materials right where I need to dig a hole then I would call that a failure to plan.
Without some basic planning you probably won't have anything to eat when you get up in the morning. Without some detailed planning no one can build a house, let alone a skyscraper or shopping mall or city.
Nothing but the simplest impulses gets accomplished without some forethought which we call a plan. All of us know it and practice it in relation to the basic physical necessities of life. But do we take our spiritual needs that seriously?
What I would like to do here is to try to persuade you to set aside time each week in the coming year to plan—and specifically to plan your life of prayer and devotion and ministry. The way I hope to motivate you to do this is to give three examples of planning in the Bible.
The first, and ultimate, reason for planning is that God is a God who plans. I don't think it is even possible to conceive of God as having knee jerk responses rather than deliberate actions that fit into a wise purpose.
And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ. (Ephesians 1:9-10)
Since God is a God who does all things according to plan it befits us to approach the most important things of life with forethought and plan, not haphazardly.
Secondly, Jesus had a mission to accomplish, and he finished it with forethought and planning.
When his mother urged him to do a miracle at the wedding in Cana, he said, My time is not yet come (John 2:4). There was a planned and appointed hour for the revelation of his power. He would stay with the plan. Luke 9:51 says, As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. He knew that the plan meant death in Jerusalem and he didn't shrink back from the plan.
Thirdly, we will take just one example of Paul's planning from the many that we could take from Acts and from his letters.
Romans 15:20-28 is a typical example of how the apostle Paul carried out his mission. I think we should learn from him that planning is essential to a productive ministry (personal ministry as well as the more complex organism of church ministries). Paul accomplished more in his life for the spread of the reign of Christ than any other person, so I think we would do well to take seriously his method. Part of his method was his planning.
He had a general guideline: he wanted to preach where no one had preached before. Then he developed a specific plan from this guideline: he would take the gift to Jerusalem; then he would go to Rome to establish a western base, from which he would then go to Spain.
What makes this especially significant is that as far as we know the plan fell through. He was arrested in Jerusalem. He went to Rome as a prisoner and probably never got to Spain. It's just like we saw in the Proverbs. God is the one who finally makes the future. But we plan nevertheless. God uses our planning even if he aborts it.
Very specifically my plea to you this new year is that you take time to plan the most important things in your life. Plan how you are going to spend time with your spouse to deepen and strengthen the relationship. Plan how you are going to spend time playing with and teaching the children. Plan how you are going to get the amount of exercise you need to stay healthy. Plan how you are going to get enough sleep. Plan how much you should eat and how you are going to limit yourself. Plan your vacation so that it really gives rest and spiritual renewal.
Most important, plan how prayer and meditation on the Word are going to be significant parts of your life. Without a plan these most important things always get pushed aside by urgent pressures.
But it won't work just to plan something tonight or tomorrow. Planning must be a regular part of your life. I expect the pastoral staff at St Paul’s to take a full day each month away from the church office just to pray and plan their ministry. This is in addition to the time I expect we are all taking each week to plan our week's work.
My plea to you is that you set aside time each week to plan, especially to plan your life of prayer and Bible study. Since Sunday is the first day of the week (not the last day of the weekend!), take ten or fifteen minutes each Sunday and think through when you will pray and what you will study that week. Give some thought how God might want to use you that week in a special way. Plan the letters you need to write, the Bible verses you want to teach your children, the visit you want to make, the book you want to read, the neighbour you want to talk to, etc.
Planning for God’s glory in 2012,
Steve Jeffrey, Senior Minister
