The Discipline Of PlanningSample

Act

The God of heaven will give us success; therefore we His servants will arise and build. - Neh 2:20

Procrastination is the fertilizer that makes difficulties grow. Nehemiah was a focused man; he always kept his mind on God’s promise to gather His people back to Jerusalem. His focus was on the benefits of completing the task, which led him to act immediately and to complete what he set out to do.

Nehemiah prayed reminding God of His promise to gather His people back to Jerusalem, if they keep His commandments and obey them. After praying and planning for four months, Nehemiah did not take long to make up his mind to seize the opportunity. He prayed to God to prosper him that day as he presented himself before the King. And after getting the King’s approval, he didn’t wait to go to Jerusalem. He would have had some legitimate reasons to postpone the trip and say, “Once I get over these challenges, I will go”. He was not afraid of the difficulties he was going to encounter in the process.

William Wilberforce did not stop with planning to fight for abolishing the slave trade in Great Britain, but he seized every opportunity and did not stop until he had done everything he could to make it happen. Neither the opposition in the Parliament nor his health condition could stop him.

German novelist Goethe once said, ‘Thinking is easy, acting is difficult, and to put one’s thoughts into action is the most difficult thing in the world’. That is probably why only a few people follow through on their goals.

Are you willing to take steps based on your best instincts? Or do you endlessly analyse everything? Lee Iacocca said, ‘Even the right decision is the wrong decision if it is made too late’. Hope you take concrete steps towards realising your goals today. God will surely give you success if you live and walk according to His will.

Father, help me to act on the plans I have made to achieve my goals. In all these, let Your name be glorified. Amen