A Failed Plan

But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed, I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for Whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith, that I may know Him and power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means I may attain the resurrection from the dead. . . I press toward the goal of the prize of the upward call of God in Vhrost Jesus. (Philippians 3:7-11,12)

Dr. Charles Stanley puts it this way in one of his messages: "Success requires choosing steps that are specific, reasonable, and measurable. For example, if you want to know Christ more intimately, you might commit to spending thirty minutes each day praying and reading His Word. After developing your plan and the steps to accomplish it, put your desire into action. If you don't take the necessary steps, it will simply remain a wish. No one develops intimacy with Christ through good intentions; it takes commitment, diligence, and perseverance." Paul would convey it often: nothing was worth doing if he was not doing it for the Lord! His culture, his family history, his education, his job titles, any of his accomplishments, none of it was worth anything when compared to knowing Jesus intimately. Like any other relationship that is worth anything, our relationship with Jesus requires sacrifice, deliberate planning, and hard choices. No matter our successes, even failures for that matter, if God was not at the center of it all, it is rubbish! As we look back, where was God in our plans? Why were we successful? How was it that we failed? Did we honor God in it all? Where did we fail? What can we do to bring God to the forefront in ALL we do? Failing to plan is planning to fail . . . Planning without having God at the helm is sure failure! Let's be reminded to always ask of God before planning anything! (James 1:5) In every way we must as knowledge Him and allow Him to direct us! (Proverbs 3:5-7)