Flexible Plans

Flexible Plans

1 Corinthians 16: ⁵ I shall come to you after I have gone through Macedonia—for I have to go through Macedonia. ⁶ I shall probably spend some time with you, perhaps the whole winter, and then you can help me to continue my trip, wherever it is I shall go next. ⁷ I want to see you more than just briefly in passing; I hope to spend quite a long time with you, if the Lord allows.

 

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“Hello. How are you?” was my polite obligatory statement. I had a full day planned and had finally gotten my schedule straight in my mind. She replied “Terrible” Then she started to tell me why. The longer she talked, the more time ticked off the clock. Unfortunately, I had to say “I have to go” in the middle of her tears.

 

• I have been overscheduled on items not concerning people.
• I have spent a large amount of time on things unrelated to people.
• I have planned my days so full, that I had no time for people.

 

Paul expresses his care for those who he wrote the letter to. He also spoke about entire regions he wanted to affect with the love of JESUS. He made plans to spend time with people, but knew his life was in the LORD’s hands. His plans needed to be flexible.

 

My Observations

• GOD wants me to make flexible plans that include caring for HIS people.
• GOD wants me to be flexible to be led to places HE wants me to go.
• GOD wants me to seek spending time with people so I and they can be made whole.

 

Worldly success comes with a price. I mean, everyone cheers a rich person, but JESUS spoke about the rarity of the rich entering heaven. HE said “Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

 

Not knowing the full criteria of the heart, I think JESUS was talking about lack of care for others. It takes a tremendous amount of time and effort to amass great wealth. This time is usually not spent giving or listening or serving. GOD wants time. The little time I spend here on Earth should have some of it focused on bringing people to HIM. I am glad people made time for me.

 

Challenge

• What do you notice about the writer’s heart?
• How can your time conflict with caring for others?
• Will you add flexibility to your schedule so you can be available to GOD’s leading today?

Walking Away

Luke 15: ¹¹ Then He said: “A certain man had two sons. ¹² And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood. ¹³ And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. ¹⁴ But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. ¹⁵ Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. ¹⁶ And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.

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Tired of the hypocrisy, I stopped going to church. I mean they tell me to “stop sinning” and “give money” yet their actions only pointed to sleeping around and sustaining their salaries, as if GOD were a business. When I left I decided that “sleeping around” and “sustaining my salary” was a good idea. Things did not go well.

• When blame is on my mind, sometimes it is actually a desire.
• When I get mad at what other people are doing, sometimes I’m seeing what I “want” to do.
• When leaving a good place is my first thought, I may have misread why I was there in the first place.

JESUS had just spoken about a lost sheep then a lost coin, now HE provides a parable of a son who saw his father as nothing more than money. In fact, he demanded an inheritance in a way to claim his father as being “dead” to him. He squandered everything and could not sustain himself when life became difficult.

• GOD sees my hurt and understands it.
• GOD sees my tantrums and puts up with it.
• GOD sees my blame, lust, gullibility and rage, yet HE allows me to keep going.

 

With no argument from the father, the son got what he wanted and needed. He received money and compassion. I do not see an argument from the father nor an attempt to explain the dangerous path the young man was going down. GOD allows me to decide the paths I travel. Walking away from GOD was not a good choice for me.

• Are you considering walking away from GOD because you think your life should be better?
• Is life difficult right now and you are tempted to pull away from those who follow GOD?
• Will you put your trust in GOD today in spite of what is going on in your life?