“A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.”
Proverbs 16:9

It’s interesting to me that our biggest blessings or gifts from God can easily become our biggest curses.  Why?  What’s the difference?  Why are the exact same traits positive in our lives when harnessed and just as negative at other times? For me, it is ‘for whom’ I do my actions.  Am I doing things because it will make me feel good, and I’ll get the praise of other people.  Or am I doing it out of obedience to God and to take care of those around me?

I can plan like nobody’s business. If I have a goal, I can break it down into measurable steps and then make a daily schedule for what needs to be done in order to achieve that goal.  This is an amazing quality, except when I am intolerant of others that don’t have the same plan or goal as me.  Since I think my plans are perfect, I justify my rude and condescending behavior until my goal is achieved.  Then I look around and wonder why no one is as excited as I am when the goal is achieved.

When I make airtight plans, there is no room for God or the people around me.  So this seemingly good trait has now been polluted by my selfishness.  To be successful in the spiritual world, I can take this quality that I’ve polluted and use it to benefit God’s Kingdom, not me.  The planning in the spiritual world looks different than what I’m used to doing.  Instead of setting a path and end goal for myself, I must rely on God for each step.

My plan starts and ends with obedience.  I must commit to walking with Him daily by reading the Bible and praying.  In this process, I must ask for His insight into the situations around me and ask for His plan instead of making a plan, then asking Him to help me achieve it.

If I allow Him to make and then shape my plan, then I have to trust that He is beside me and taking every step with me.  He is also controlling things during the process including the outcome.  My ideas of success are usually numbers based: how many, how much, how fast; but He’s teaching me to trust Him. That’s it.  Despite what is given me in a day, do I trust that He’s in charge?  He’s not holding a carrot in front of me that I’ll never reach, but He’s also not going to spoil me and give me what I want unless there is purpose.  Just like we don’t give our children rewards for things they don’t earn.

In order to be successful in the Kingdom, my idea of success just has to change.  We’re not successful when we reach our goals.  That’s easy and childish.  Any self-help guru can help you do that.  Our success comes when we have discipline and obedience to God and show His principles despite our circumstances of stress, worry, or anxiety.

It’s not that planning and looking ahead are bad, but are we planning for our short time on earth of glory and adoration of people that we don’t really even know, or are we working to teach God and His love, patience, and joy to those that look up to us the most? So, use whatever gifts or blessings you’ve been given from God, but don’t turn them into curses or shame. Remember and take into consideration the people in your life. They are the plan, not things.

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:  But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
Matthew 6:19-21

– Written by Kati

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