The Key of WISE PLANNING
Growing up, I observed my dad a lot. He always had a diary at every point in time. But unlike most people who kept only records of past events in their diaries, my dad kept both past records and plans for things he intended to accomplish in the future. Most of those intentions had dates attached to them. He always had a short term and long term goal. In his diaries, he always drew out strategies for accomplishing desired goal. He was simply a planner.
Jesus made quite some interesting remarks about planning. Look what He says:
“But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first getting estimates and the checking to see if he has enough money to pay the bills? 1
Jesus in this verse quickly highlights the fact that many people have great intentions but only few actually sit down to plan first. In another version, He said “…for which of you intending...” Simply put, intentions are not enough to grant you your heart desires. You will not be successful simply because you have intentions. Everybody has intentions including beggars on the streets. Only those who sit down to plan would eventually have success.
If you have intensions to do things that will get you into great heights, you must sit down first and “count the cost…..” Too many people even pray and forget about planning. But prayer without planning is playing without knowing. When you’ve got a big idea to do something great and you don’t sit down to strategize how to go about it, your idea may never grow bigger than the brain cell that conceived it in your head. It’s time to start counting the cost.
The wise King Solomon said “the wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way…”2 that is; you’ve got to strategize the way to accomplish your intentions. That’s what makes you a wise man. It’s not enough to know what you want to do, you’ve got to know how (the way) to do it and that’s what dubs you a prudent man or woman.
The young man Joseph, while interpreting Pharaoh’s dream, raised an alarm of a famine that was to come in “seven years’ time” So they started storing up food for a famine that was seven years ahead. He specifically told them that they would all perish unless they start preparing for that famine.3
The reason why many people die poor is because during the course of their lives, they tackle events only when they unfold. Many times, people are not ready for mere eventualities, let alone planning for their own future.
You don’t allow events to take you unawares. You’ve got to be prepared at every point in time. Adults always said to us while we were growing that “exams of life have no time-table.” You have to plan ahead. You’ve got to sit down and count the cost.
One apostle named Paul said this: “let all things be done decently and in order.4 Many people will head nowhere in life because they live a disorderly life. Friend, you’ve got to order the course of your life. Put every step and every stage in order. That’s what will grant you speed and accomplishment in life.
For example, we were told in the creation story that before God created fish, He created the sea; otherwise fish would not have a habitat to survive. Also, before He created man, He created the earth; otherwise man would have nowhere to live. He’s a God of order, and He expects us, His children to be orderly.
Oh you have a dream of owning a big business or organization. Great idea! Great dream! But you must go and learn how to manage and increase money. You’ve got to attend some leadership training. You have to read some books about people who have succeeded in business. You’ve got to pass through several stages to get there. You’ve got to order your way into that dream.
You cannot become a medical doctor before you attend a medical school. That would be out of order. You have to go through medical school before you become a medical doctor. You cannot become a lawyer before you attend law school. It’s the other way round. You must first go through law school before you become a lawyer.
Everything must be done, according to Paul, decently and in order. You have to pay attention to the order of your life and that’s where planning comes in. Planning helps you to put every stage of your life in order. It helps you to prioritize properly for posterity. Planning helps you to get rid of confusion. The reason why many people get easily confused at cross roads is because they haven’t sat down to draw up the order and the course through which their intensions should be accomplished. This is very important!
It was King Solomon that also said “it is God’s privilege to conceal things but the king’s privilege to discover them.”5 God has already established matters concerning your destiny. However, it is your duty to discover those matters –through wise planning so as to ensure that those matters come to pass.
He also said “Prepare thy work without and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterward, build thine house”.6 Preparations must be done before building. O yes you must prepare first. Make things “fit” for yourself. Then build your destiny. Never take any step in life that you are not prepared for. It’s easy to make decisions. But be careful embarking on adventures unprepared.
Finally, you must know that you need divine help to plan properly. You are nothing without the hand of God. He’s the Supreme Being. Many people make informed decision and still fail in life. It’s not enough to make informed decisions. You need “inspired” decisions
Inspiration is when the Holy Spirit controls your mind in making major decision in your life. So information is not enough. Inspiration is what you need.
You can be informed and fail, but you cannot be inspired by God and fail. “A man’s heart deviseth his ways (in an informed manner); but the Lord directeth his steps (through inspiration)”-emphasis mine.7
So you can draw your plans and that’s ok. But you must yearn for divine direction as you draw up your plans.
SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES
1. Luke 14:28 (TLB)
2. Proverbs 14:8
3. Genesis 41:25-37
4. 1 Corinthians 14:40
5. Proverbs 25:2 (NLT)
6. Proverbs 24:27
7. Proverbs 16:9