Why don’t my plans work? I’ve discussed this problem with several people over the years. One of my friends from school realized why his plans did not work after he became a follower of Jesus. He said they did not work because they were always his plan and never God’s.
I have had the same problem and learned difficult lessons as a result. Sometimes we ask God to bless our plan instead of asking Him what His plan is. That usually does not work. Fortunately, the Lord is always working in our lives to show us the foolishness of our plans and to draw us back to Him.
The Younger Son’s Plan Did Not Work
The younger son devised a plan for the good life according to the world’s standards. The only thing he needed was money.
Luke 15:11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. [1]
The World’s plan versus the Lord’s Plan
The more I grow in faith, the more I realize the spiritual battle that we are all in. The world and our sinful self are not interested in following the Lord and His plan. The enemy has a plan to lead us away from Jesus and His plans.
I spent nineteen years after high school pursuing the world’s plan for my life. Over time I began to realize that what I was pursuing was empty and self-centered. When I finally turned my life over to God’s plan, He unfolded the most amazing plan for me. This plan changed my priorities in life. Often the Lord lets experience the plans of the world to show us the foolishness of such pursuits.
The Lord Draws Us Back
The Lord gave the prophet Zechariah a message to Israel, and also to us today. If you have wandered from the Lord, He is calling you to return. Zechariah 1:3 Therefore, say to the people, ‘This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.’[2]
Why don’t my plans work? To understand God’s plan versus the world’s plan for us, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/god-has-more-for-the-prodigal
[1] The New International Version. (2011). (Lk 15:11–16). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
[2] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Zec 1:3). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.