Your Morning Routine Blueprint98Shift 1: Planning Is Something We Do with God
Scripture tells two kinds of stories: There was Noah, who
followed a plan down to the cubic inch, and then Ruth, who made
a spontaneous decision. There was Nehemiah, who planned the
rebuilding of the wall, and Peter, who jumped out of the boat in
the middle of a storm.
Even Scripture makes planning and faith seem like oppo-
sites. For instance, Matthew 6:34 says, “Therefore do not
worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.
Each day has enough trouble of its own.” But Proverbs 21:5
says, “The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste
leads to poverty.”
So is planning good or... bad?
Part of the beauty of our trip to Hot Springs was the sheer
freedom of it. In the midst of a very demanding season of par-
enting, it was refreshing to wing it. At the same time, part of
the beauty of our trip to Europe was savoring every detail and
planning it together.
There are seasons to plan and seasons to be flexible. Our
lack of planning wasn’t more holy than our detailed planning.
To always rely on a plan is not healthy. To always blow with
the wind is not healthy. Doing a little of both, as God leads,
will get you where you need to go.
Shift 2: Planning Connects the Dots
It becomes even clearer if we tweak the words faith and
planning just a little. Another way to look at faith is trust, and
another way to look at planning is stewardship. We trust in
God and lean on Him for our every step, but we also choose
to steward well the time, resources, and direction He gives us.