Author: Saleama A. Ruvalcaba, MATS

Or is it?

In a book by George Barna, Marketing the Church, originally written in the mid- 80’s and even at that time, pastors and church leaders were against the idea of marketing the Church. In fact, most pastors and leaders considered marketing the Church blasphemy! These leaders, who are called to minister to a lost and dying world considered their Bible reading, prayer, and the Holy Spirit enough for them – so they did not feel the need to implement a marketing plan to reach lost people in their respective community.

Let’s now consider the average Christian.

Because a lot of pastors and church leaders believe marketing the Church to be blasphemy, which is really a strategic plan to reach the lost, it is no surprise that many church leaders actually preach against making plans.

It’s selfish to make plans, right? We aren’t in the will of God or allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us if we make plans. We won’t be open to changes by God if we make plans. In other words, we are suppose to aimlessly drift through life praying for the best.

Um…yeah!

Here’s The Problem Though…

As Christians, if we continue to think in this manner, with the idea that making plans is bad, we are setting ourselves up for failure against a world that is planning.

Consistent positive strategy and planning make up most of the world Christians blindly enjoy. We eat out at McDonald’s. We take vacation to DisneyWorld. We order from Amazon. We buy furniture from Wayfair. We renovate our homes with the help of Home Depot and then we go to church on Sunday and are taught having plans and dreams is selfish and making plans is foolish because only God knows our plans so don’t worry about tomorrow.

It’s time to put on your thinking cap and become a Christian woman who can make an intentional impact in the lives of other women. You can do that by allowing order and planning into your life. You don’t have to be a successful businesswoman to make an impact. You can become a great and godly wife and make an impact in the lives of other Christian women – but even that requires a plan!

Proverbs 6:9 “How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep?”

NIV

Plan Wisely

All throughout the Old Testament we learn of many victories through planning. The Tabernacle was built with a plan. Joshua was victorious with a plan. Nehemiah rebuilt the wall with a plan. Deborah saved her people with a plan and Esther saved her people with a plan. Jesus strategically met the needs of people. Paul had a plan to establish the Church. The Apostle’s had plans to spread the Gospel.

So you get the point. God does not teach against making plans.

It’s possible we might be confused with verses like this one;

Proverbs 16:9 “In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.”

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This verse is not against man (or woman) making plans. We can or better yet, we should make plans for our life. But – we must commit those plans to God. We must pray and seek His will for our lives and plan accordingly. He might change our plans, but that doesn’t mean we don’t make plans and just pray for the best.

Consider this; let’s say you plan a daily schedule. Your entire day is on your planner. Your day is full of positive progress toward success; spending time with God, being a better wife, mother, employee, and community leader. Do you think God will not bless your effort in this?

Or do you honestly think God will bless you hitting snooze five times before finally waking up, then sit in your bed looking at social media for 30 minutes arguing with people about world issues, say a quick prayer to God as you get in the shower, yell at your children to get ready, barely speak to your husband, walk in late for work since you didn’t get up on time, spend another 30 minutes on social media during work hours…and so on and so on throughout the day. Why would God bless this, and not a plan to make positive progress in your life?

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Plans Might Change…But God Will Bless

As I type this post, my husband’s entire day is on a planner; Bible reading and prayer, jog and so on. Well, today his plans were changed by God.

He went for a jog at his scheduled time early this morning.

At the park where he went for a jog, no one else was there except a young man who was alone on the swings. It was 20 degrees outside so it struck my husband as odd but he kept running. My husband was halfway home and on schedule for the rest of his day when he felt the Holy Spirit tell him to go back and talk to that young man. My husband actually told God he didn’t want to go back because his schedule will be off that day. But he knew he had to obey God. He prayed and asked God for protection. (We live in a scary world)

My husband approached the young man and told him God asked him to come talk to him. The young man immediately began to cry. His parents had just divorced and their family life was bad. Long story short – my husband led that young man to Christ right there in the park.

And my husband’s schedule was still on track for the day.

Yes, God might change our plans but it doesn’t mean we DON’T plan. He just might bless our lives. My husband felt so blessed and thanked God for that experience. A young man was added to the Kingdom through a deviation in my husband’s plan, but God gave him his time back for continued progress today.

It’s Your Life…Make The Best of It!

This is your life young lady – so make the best of it.

You can very well predict how your life will look next week, next month, and next year. Whatever you are doing today is exactly how your life will look until YOU decide the make positive progress – by planning.

Life won’t change with time. You have to put forth action, pray, and ask God to help you keep your plans toward progress. He wants you to succeed as a godly woman for His Kingdom.

You have a better chance at keeping your goals and plans if they are written down.

Years ago I took a business planning class. We were told the first day that the reason so many businesses fail is because people keep their plan in their head and not on paper.

You don’t need to buy an expensive planner. You can print one from your computer software. That’s exactly what our family uses to plan our day. Me, my husband, and our four younger children, even my six-year-old, has a daily schedule which we go over each night for the next day.

We plan our personal activities, family activities, and time for personal growth by reading or studying something we enjoy.

Yes ladies, me and my husband have on our schedule physical intimacy one night and a second night – for date night – which might be dinner outside the house, a movie in our room, or going somewhere for coffee and talk. In this season of COVID, we have had curbside dinner in the car while we sit and talk. (We have a great marriage to prove this type of planning works)

Laziness and Fear Stops Productive Planning!

You’re not lazy and you can ask God to help you overcome your fear.

You are a wonderful woman of God.

He wants you to see planning through a new set of eyes. Planning will impact your life in a great way!

Yes, it’s hard and scary and Satan will make you believe you can’t do it, but trust God!

Proverbs 15:22 “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.”

NIV

Pray and ask God to give you His will for your life. Write your plans out after seeking His will. Ask Him to bless your plans. If He changes them it’s okay – keep planning for His Kingdom!

You will impact His Kingdom for days to come!

Plan B is God’s Plan A!

~Saleama A. Ruvalcaba, MATS