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It has become a common consensus that to reach your goals, a period of effective planning must be undertaken to provide a clear path to achievement. The world will share with you many ways to effectively plan this year, but as Christians how does our approach to planning differ?
Before I highlight the ways to be an effective planner, it is imperative to understand that Jesus too valued the importance of planning. In Luke 14:28 Jesus states that “suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it”. In this scripture, Jesus emphasises the importance of planning before engaging in a task. Planning gives a clear sense of direction and helps to identify and take into consideration the cost of what you intend to embark on.
Is it in God’s will?
One way we can be effective planners is to be led by God when planning. Although this may sound very cliché, what does this actually look like? Often when planning and setting our goals, we ask God to bless the plans we made of our own volition and often outside God’s desired plans. A more effective process of planning places God’s desires at the forefront and therefore aligning our plans with His. In this instance where our plans align with His plans for our lives, you can be confident of the eventual fulfilment of your plans. Proverbs 16:9 states that “the heart of a man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps”. Instead of asking God to bless plans you have already made, ask God what you should be focusing on so that your will and His will are fully aligned. This way we do not waste time focusing on the wrong things.
Keep Wise Godly Counsel
Secondly, a way to effectively plan is to keep wise Godly counsel. Proverbs 11:14 expands on this by stating that “where there is no guidance, a people fall, but in the abundance of counsellors there is safety”. When planning we do not always have the answer and can struggle to effectively plan if we rely solely on our own knowledge. Therefore, it is extremely valuable to surround yourself with knowledgeable and wise counsel who can help you see different perspectives and thoroughly consider future alternatives. Given that the kings of the bible saw the importance in seeking wise counsel, I believe that we should also see this component as important to the planning process. Also, having wise Godly counsel helps us to effectively plan in alignment with God’s will.
The fundamental component to effective planning is initially aligning your desires with Gods. This way you will have confidence that whatever you work on will be fruitful because you have the approval of God. Moreover, after establishing an alignment of desires, factors such as seeking wise Godly counsel can help aid the planning process to ensure that the steps to establishing your vision are clearer and this is how we can become more effective planners in 2023.
In this life various barriers to effective planning exist such as poor time management, overexcitement or pride, but the most important barrier is being unaligned with God’s will. Without the full backing of God, this misaligned stance can often lead to wasted time.