Plans Should Take Time

I am one of those planners. The one that maps out the route before leaving. The one that keeps a list so as not to forget something. The one that asks for help when something is not making sense. And as a planner, I feel as though I am prepared for things that may come up that to others may seem a catastrophe, but for me is just a deviation from the original plan.

How do I get there, I take the time in the beginning to work as much out as possible to be sure that the big stones I see get turned over to see what is lurking underneath. To a good number of those around me, I am perceived as overly analytical and thinking too much where they are more in the doer phase and take things as they come. Mine and their approach may be different, and we may reach the finish line at roughly the same time, the energy expended and needed are drastically different, not to mention the continuity of the plan itself.

“¹⁸Plans are established by counsel; by wise guidance wage war. ²¹And inheritance gained hastily in the beginning will not be blessed in the end.” – Proverbs 20:18 & 21 (ESV)

God performs His work in His time and as I have been a part of, that time is much slower than I really like. Whereas I am a planner and prefer to take things slow with all of the information I can gather, God goes even slower. I get so frustrated when things are not proceeding as I have planned and the waiting on God is really tough.

But, what I have also found is that when God’s plan is finally realized and completed, things work out for the absolute best, every time. He knows how much each of us can take on and just how long we can wait on Him. Our job is to work with Him on those plans to relieve the stress of what to do next in our plan. When we do the work up front and prepare properly with the counsel of God and take our time as God does, won’t our plans work out, every time? Our best plans are those that are worked out and take time to fully develop.

What is your approach to tasks of the day? What planning are you doing around those things in your life? What if you were to take the time to work it out ahead of time and align with God?