PLANNING AND GOAL SETTING 2
13 COME NOW, YOU WHO SAY, “TODAY OR TOMORROW WE WILL GO TO SUCH AND SUCH A CITY, SPEND A YEAR THERE, BUY AND SELL, AND MAKE A PROFIT";
14 WHEREAS YOU DO NOT KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN TOMORROW. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.
15 INSTEAD YOU OUGHT TO SAY, “IF THE LORD WILLS, WE SHALL LIVE AND DO THIS OR THAT.”
James 4:13-15 (NKJV)
We have been able to establish some points in the first part of this teaching, the conclusive part, the second part, is here.
I do not agree that a believer should have a twenty or thirty or the plan of whatever number of years, as taught by some motivational speakers, because it is not consistent with the Word of God, the Bible, and it is not practicable for a committed and consecrated believer. However, I do believe in following God's plan being unfolded to a believer as he or she walks with God—being done little by little (Deuteronomy 7:22).
The reason why having such a plan would not work for a committed and consecrated believer who lives a submissive life is because God does things progressively and systematically. God would not reveal things of ten or twenty or thirty years to you at once, If He did you would not be walking by faith; and without faith you cannot walk with God and please Him (Hebrews 11:6).
Although, you may have an inkling or slight knowing; a vague notion or clue of some of the things that God wanted to do in or through your life but the details might not yet be made known to you. Albeit, as you keep following God, He would be unfolding to you His plans for your life little by little (Deuteronomy 7:22). But when you stopped following, the plans which He has had for you would be halted or pended—it would be deferred.
The way God does it is, If a portion or part of the vision or plan is unfolded to you, God would look and watch how far you could go with that and what you could make out of it before He releases another part to you—the Scripture says we know in part (1 Corinthians 13:9). God would never unfold everything about your future to you at a time, it would be unfolded as you kept following—He would be unfolding it gradually.
The making of a believer is dependent on the followership of the person, If the person stopped following, the making would be halted or stopped. The disciples of Jesus Christ when they were called, He told them, follow Me I will make you fishers of men (Matthew 4:18,19).
None of them new what would come out of their following, neither did they know what it entails, but they were anyway following by faith.
This also was the case of Abraham and other heroes of faith mentioned in the Book of Hebrews. Abraham left his father's place, he left known for the unknown, all by faith (Genesis 12:1-4; Hebrews 11:8), likewise others who followed God in the Bible.
God told them what He would do for or through their lives but they never knew the details of whatever God meant or wanted to do. Those people did not have thirty year plan or whatever number of years, but they followed God by faith.
Apostle James was saying, whatever you are planning, you should acknowledge God, otherwise, you might not live to see the plans come a reality: " . . . WHEREAS YOU DO NOT KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN TOMORROW. FOR WHAT IS YOUR LIFE? IT IS EVEN A VAPOUR THAT APPEARS FOR A LITTLE TIME AND THEN VANISHES AWAY" (James 4:14 NKJV).
However, James suggested a better way which a believer could assert whatever he or she thought or planned of doing: "INSTEAD YOU OUGHT TO SAY, “IF THE LORD WILLS, WE SHALL LIVE AND DO THIS OR THAT" (James 4:15 NKJV).
Contrary to what such people are teaching that If you did not have a plan of certain number of years you cannot succeed or amount to anything in life. I have seen many who asserted many years plan which they had had, or goals they had set, but they never lived to see those plans or goals fulfilled or materialized.
Believers should not just borrow the ideas of the world and be mixing it with the Word of God and be trying to buttress such with the Bible. Such teaching of setting goals or having plans of many years is not taught in the Bible—it is strange and not consistent with the Word of God, the Bible and not practicable for whoever is living a submissive and consecrated life.
You will not die prematurely in Jesus' name.
Peace!