Planning, Planning, Planning

I'm a little bit of a neat freak when it comes to my daily plans. I like to be in the know. I like to be in control of my schedule. Everything must work clock-wise according to my sovereign plan. If it doesn't I tend to shut down. I do not like conflict. And I do not like unscheduled changes.

This past week I came back from a 10 day trip to Barcelona, Spain. I was helping with a church plant up there by engaging in different ministry projects to help local people plug into the church. Throughout the trip there were many unscheduled changes that took place throughout the trip. This was the first time a large group of students participated in a project of this magnitude in Spain. There was a schedule. There was a plan. But the plan needed changes to be made along the way. And LOTS of them.

This was difficult on the whole team and on the leaders in charge, because there were difficulties that even the leaders were not in control of. There was a lot of grumbling and eye rolling from a few of the team members. Even I made a few comments to others about the changes at the very beginning of the trip.

But very quickly I remembered back to some of my past overseas ministry trips and how when I didn't just go with the flow that it made me miserable. This trip was going to be different. So at that point, I decided to just go with it. Whatever plans or expectations I had in my head I threw out the door. After all, I didn't go on this trip for me. I went to help the missionaries. Whatever they needed me to do that's what I was going to do. If they needed me to dance in a flash mob, (that actually happened, no joke) that's what I was going to do. If they needed me to make balloon animals, that's what I was going to do. Even if it didn't seem super missionary-like, it still made an impact, because that was what the missionary's knew would get the attention of the locals and give exposure to the church so that maybe they might possibly get involved.

I think sometimes we as Christians forget that God can work through anything. We don't have to stand on a soap box and scream Bible verses to be an affective evangelist. A lot of times it's simply putting our plans aside to do whatever God wants us to do.

Since being back in California, I've been thinking about all of the plans that I have made for my life-- My plans to be a Christian Filmmaker, to Plant a Church, to be a Pastor or an overseas Missionary--- and I've realized something...

All those plans are worthless!

They are worthless if that is not what God wants me to do. Sometimes as Christians we get to caught up in the job title. We think its super spiritual to want to be an overseas missionary or a pastor, but in reality there is only one spiritual thing you can do--- and that is to simply to be obedient.

We need to be obedient to God's calling. We are to fulfill the Great Commission. And you don't need to go overseas to start. The mission field is in your neighborhood, your school, your workplace, your local community. We should't even think about going overseas if we haven't even shown an effort to evangelize right where we're at. God is sovereign. He placed us here for a reason. If he has called you overseas that's great. God bless you. But make sure that it's what he wanted you to do, not just so you can look super spiritual.

We need to be willing to give up whatever plans we have at a moments notice in order to honor God. It may not always make sense and it may not be easy. People may not always understand. Your own family may not understand why you gave up a perfectly good job that was paying all your bills, just so you could start a college ministry. They may not understand why you settled for a Toyota instead of a Mercedes-Benz because you started giving 10% of your income to your church.

People may not understand.

But that is part of being flexible with your planning.

That is part of being obedient.

This is not something that I'm good at. This is something that I'm really having to work on, because I like planning. Now don't get me wrong. We should plan! But we need to not get attached to our plans. We need to not be surprised when God takes us a completely different direction than what we thought.

It really helps me to remember that God is actually looking out for my best interest.

When I was a little kid, I did not understand why my Dad would not let me just run wild in the street. It seemed perfectly logical to do whatever I wanted. I could not see the end result. But what my Dad knew was that If I ran into the street, I would die, because a car would run me over. And that would not be good for me.

Well my relationship with God works the same way. His comprehending and understanding is far greater than I can even imagine! Even though I may not understand why God does certain things in my life, and it may not make sense at the time, he sees the end result. Who's plans are more trustworthy, mine or God's?

Isaiah 55:8-9English Standard Version (ESV)

For my thoughts are not your thoughts,neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

God Bless,

Jonathan D. Graham