Journal Entry 51: Planning is good and all, but …
Jesus, if you're not in it, I don't want it.
Journal Entry 51: Planning is good and all, but . . .
I haven't found in scripture where it is wrong to make plans. On the contrary the Bible suggest good planning is wise. The only bad planning of course would be of wicked desires or greedy ambitions. Though there does seem to be a big difference in planning on your own with God as a thing in the background vs. planning with God at the front of everything.
“The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness: but of every one that is hasty only to want.” Proverbs 21:5 KJV
Before going any further, let me point out that Proverbs is a book of wisdom not one of guarantees. A good, wise, man can have amazing plans, and if God has something else in mind, well, God’s plans win every time.
I had plans for this year, money was going places, places I wanted it to go. Apparently I should have laughed those plans right out the window. Money went places for sure just not where I had planned. This is part of life, but it's also not just at random.
This year my hope was to pay off my car, and possibly make some needed repairs to our garage. Instead, my home insurance went up for the entire state and dragged me along with it kicking and screaming for an extra $300 dollars a month. Escrow hurts. This is even after I dropped my former insurance and got a slightly cheaper one but still not as low as my former insurance had been.
We also had a newborn baby. Ember is a blessing from God that also requires formula and diapers. Thank you, Jesus, we can afford almost $300 a month in formula and diapers. A hike up in our power bill came next, and we were not paying off the car or getting to those repairs this year.
Having your plans take a shot to the face can be upsetting. I was upset for sure, but when I calmed down, I had to thank God. At the beginning of the year several smaller plans took shape to put us in a better financial situation. This too is credible to God. If we hadn't gotten the smaller plans through, we'd be in real trouble this year with the other problems I didn't know were coming. So God put us right where we needed to be, and this year our family is once again provided for. We're not running around with extras, but the bills are paid, the house stands, and no one is going hungry. I'll take it. Thank you, Jesus.
Low and behold the end of another year is approaching and I've got a plan, lol. This year I’m paying off the car, um, hopefully. This year I’m fixing the roof over the garage and apparently the back porch as well. The two areas were added onto the house; before it was mine. They built them with flat roofs in an area where it rains all year round, hurricanes almost every year, and so the roofs are rotten. Flat roofing makes no sense in our area, but it is what it is.
One more idea, God, please, if you’re willing, I want to build a carport over the driveway that connects to the garage. The idea is to of built up everything, so next, next, year I can get solar panels installed. After paying off the car, fixing the two major parts of the house, the next two biggest hits to our budget that I can fight back against are our mortgage and the power bill. Since my mortgage isn’t going anywhere fast, I figure I can bring down my energy bill and then use the extra cash to attack my mortgage.
Long distance plan is to be debt free, completely debt free, within 5/6 years. With the power bill chopped down, cars paid off, house paid off, and some good grocery budgeting, no diapers or formula, we’ll be doing alright. Of course a lot of this depends on keeping the ball rolling without something getting in the way. This year we hit a wall that put a stop to our plans, but it didn’t break us. Now, the year coming to an end, things rounding back out, we’re ready to take another shot at it. God willing, we will keep moving forward towards the freedom of no debt.
This kind of planning is not against God. God may have other plans for us, this may not happen, but it’s not because the plans are evil. Plan for success in your finances, be smart about it, and don’t forget that what you are given is for the glory of God. We may end up debt free and better off financially, but what we must be careful about is forgetting others. We’re here to enjoy life, live it, but we’re also here to help others and be there where we can, to help.
A theme in the bible grabbed my attention this time that I hadn’t noticed other times. A lot of these Christians, even the older ones that were jews not yet knowing of Christ, they worked for God, fought and sacrificed for their faith, yet they turned their backs on God in their senior years. Something happened to them along the road of life, and they fell away. I don’t want that to happen to me. I’m afraid of it. Bible is full of people that couldn’t finish the race, stumbled one too many times, and instead of pushing forward they turned around, they quit.
Christianity is a fight that isn’t won with a few good punches. This fight is one of resilience. God puts us through hardships sometimes just to build our resilience; because we’ll need it later on. I bring this up because I’m making plans to better my family, to better what God has given me. If things work out with the reductions of our monthly losses, great. If things with our business ideas and other strategies, along with lowering our monthly costs, wow, even better. If success and financial freedom is a pathway that has me turning my back on God, no. Break my accounts, burn down my writings, God take it all away, before I lose you. Nothing is worth losing my relationship with Jesus.
Make plans to better yourself, your situation, your family. Don’t think that you can’t, but make those plans with Jesus. I don’t want to lose my faith as the years drag on. I don’t want to be one of those that couldn’t finish the race. Apostle Paul ran his race to the end. Please, Jesus, hold on tight to me and don’t ever let go. Drag me across that finish line with two broke legs, tears in my eyes, if that’s what it takes. Make plans with Jesus and let him guide you to ways that honor God the father. This is the best defense I know of.
My defense is to use what success we do have to further our works with Jesus. Yesterday my son asked me how I keep up my faith. He’s 17, got saved, got energized for Jesus, and then got bogged down by life. He’s decided to get his focus back on Jesus, so he asked me how I keep my focus on Jesus. I told him the only truth I know for my life, and that’s to go at it every day. Faith isn’t a feeling, it’s a decision. Some days I don’t want to pray, I don’t want to go through God’s word, but, those are the days I NEED to pray and I NEED to get focused on God. This is where I must decide to aim my focus towards Jesus and not let my feelings control the day.
For me, I told my son, I listen to Christian music, I listen to Christian books on my Audible account, I read a Christian couples book with my wife, and lately I turn the speakers off on the way to work and spend that dark morning ride to talk with God. You want to strengthen your faith, keep your focus on Jesus. You must decide to follow Jesus. This is my path, and I’m counting on Jesus’ love and strength to keep me true to it.
Make your plans, better yourself, and focus on Jesus every step of every day on this race called life. If your plans don’t happen, maybe God knows something he isn’t revealing to you yet. Pray, get up, and keep going with Jesus, he’s leading you to the promised land.
Trust that Jesus Loves You.