A trust issue?

If you plan to do evil, you will be lost; if you plan to do good, you will receive unfailing love and faithfulness. (Proverbs 14:22 NLT)

Plans matter, don't they? I always admired individuals who could seemingly go through life without a plan, just spontaneously hopping from one thing to another, with really awesome outcomes. I was not one of those individuals. Once I learned the value of a list, I started making them! Once I learned the joy of checking things off on that list, I worked diligently to get each and every one of those items checked off. It isn't bad to plan - it is the basis of life. The motive behind the plans is what matters. 

Are the plans correct for our life? Is the timing right for the completion of those plans? Will the plans add value to our lives? These are but a few of the questions we must consider when 'making plans'. There are likely a few others, such as will those plans hurt or help others, are they within our means, or will they be realizable in the timeframe we have established? The more we consider our plans, the more clarity we might get in choosing which ones we embrace and those we might reject (either for the moment or completely).

God's plans for our lives can differ from our own, can they not? The more we 'press' our own agenda, attempting to just 'charge forward' regardless of those 'checks' we might feel deep within our spirit, the more we are headed into territory governed by our pride and own selfish will. Some of the most profound plans are hatched by fools who want to just 'charge forward' regardless of the consequences. It isn't the 'profoundness' of a plan that matters - it is the 'purposeful pursuit' that does. Jesus helps us get clarity on those plans that are 'hatched' from a foolish heart, but he trusts us to respond to that clarity with obedience.

Planned obedience may seem a little out there, but have you ever planned to do something that you knew was really not the wisest choice? I know I have, and I paid the price for actually acting upon those plans! Why is it we balk at 'planning' steps of obedience when we make such great effort to 'plan' our steps that lead toward disobedience? Perhaps it is our pride, or own stubborn will, but it could be that we just don't trust God with planning our steps. When we set our mind toward obedience, we are setting our course TOWARD obedience. We are choosing to trust God with our steps even when we don't see the destination clearly. Just sayin!