by Paul Handsaker
‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.’ Jeremiah 29:11
As one reads this verse we are reminded that God has plans for every person’s life and He knows the path we will take. For the believer God further tells us that His plans are for our welfare, to give us a future and a hope. What a wonderful promise this is to know that God is in control. I believe this promise is for our personal lives as well as any ministry endeavors that are a part of our lives. This may include our local congregation and beyond into mission work in the greater church at large. Yet knowing that God has plans for our lives sometimes we struggle to discern the path we should take. We are faced with decisions: does God want me to be a Sunday School teacher this year, should I serve on this ministry board, should I change jobs that may require a move for my family, if I move what will my new church family be. Ministries also struggle with decisions as well, what is the best way to accomplish our mission, should we expand our ministry, do we engage in a building project, do we engage more workers, how will our financial needs be met.
I remember a time when my family was struggling with vocation issues, should we stay farming or should we move on, we even considered moving to Atlanta. It was hard to know what to do. It is at times of uncertainty that it would be wonderful to wake to find a note that said this is what you should do, signed God. But it is never this easy We have to seek the Lord in prayer, search the scriptures and he will give us peace about an issue we are considering, For me when I experience a sense of peace I know that I am living in God’s plan for my life.
The other side of our path in life is the danger of complacency in our personal lives or within established ministries. The routine of our everyday lives, the established path we have taken, the projects we have been doing, can lead us to lose sight of new opportunities, a turn in the road, and we began to function on autopilot. Some time ago two pilots were cruising on auto pilot and suddenly found themselves over Wisconsin when they were to have landed in Minneapolis. Oops, although nothing serious came of this lapse, the plane was late and the pilots were disciplined. So it is with our spiritual lives, even though God has plans for us, we need to be alert, listening and ready for action, not just moving forward on autopilot. Granted in the routine of our lives, the busyness of every day, the routine of established ministries there is a danger that we will begin to travel on autopilot. God has been challenging me to be more alert, to listen as God prompts, to ponder the Word to make sure that God is not calling me to change directions, to reevaluate what I have been doing. Have I been living on auto pilot, have I missed an opportunity, is God wanting me to change directions, am I walking in the plan He has for me?
