“A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord determines his steps.”
~Proverbs 16:9
You may not need it, but here it is: You have permission to plan.
I am persistent wonderer of God’s plan for my life. Page after page of prayer journals are littered with the ever pressing question of what is God’s plan for my life. It has seemed like I have been always asking God to write the script and direct the stage scenes of my life. And in some ways the play seems to stay unwritten.
Then I was struck by these words from King Solomon: “a man’s heart plans his way…” This is where my pen on the page hit pause and my thinking for nearly 39 years about God’s plan for my life for stalled. I have permission to plan, but my plan has to be consistent with his path.
While I was spending my life like Mikey on a One Eyed Willies Goonie’s Hunt in search of God’s plan for my life, always looking for another clue, God was giving me permission to plan.
Here is the thing I have learned: the planning starts in the heart. My plan can only be in line with God’s path for my life if my heart is in place of being connected to his heart.
My 7 year old dream and plan was to play second base for the Chicago Cubs. It was a great plan. I planned on wearing number #7. I planned on living in a Brownstone in Wrigleyville and walking to the ballpark. I was planning on retiring after 17 years, 13 All-Stars seasons, 2 World Series rings and a Hall of Fame career. That plan never happened. In part because I couldn’t hit a curve ball and because his path for my life did not lead to second base at Wrigley.
My heart is to speak and communicate. Amazingly enough the path I find myself on most days is steps leading that way. My heart and plan is connect to his heart and his determines the steps of my path.
That same wise king also penned these words: “Commit to the Lord whatever you do and he will establish (or set firm) your plans”.
God grants us the permission to plan, yet he sets us on the path to that plan. We have one more responsibility in this: complete surrender of that plan to him. It is the highest level of trust when we take what we hold most tightly to and loosen our grip and place into his hands.
So plan…dream…design…but know his will set your feet on the path.
