Theme: Wisdom In Action
Text: Luke 16:8
By: Onuora, Onyeka
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Definition:
Planning is working out in advance how you want to do something: Thinking out what you want to do before carrying it out. Written or not written.
Discernment in simple terms is making the right choice: the ability to distinguish between things, especially when it is difficult to understand because of not being fully or clearly expressed. It involves wisdom making good decisions, choose wisely.
The importance of planning and discernment cannot be over emphasized; we see this in our everyday life activities.
Planning is not just a professional activity, it is a feature of everyday life, whether for career advancement, organizing an event or even just getting through a busy day. Every normal human being exercise planning every day. It involves the use of wisdom to determine what you want to do next.
God gave us wisdom to plan, Christians and non-Christians, Saints and sinners. To plan, is to define your target and set a realistic goal. The unjust steward in Lk 16 was able to plan for his future how he is going to survive when he is sacked.
Prov 21:5. Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty. (NLT). This alone tells you that planning is very important, you want to prosper plan well and choose wisely the way you follow up. The God of heaven will prosper you.
Christians are to use this wisdom to plan for things of this world and for the world to come. Laying your treasure in heaven is a plan. If only in this world we have Christ, then we are of all men most miserable. Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling is a plan not to miss heaven.
The unjust steward was commended not the fraud he planned to commit, but the policy he exhibited. His wisdom was in-line with worldly thinking, but not in Christian living. He planned to steal more from the master for him to survive when he is sacked.
As Christians, our ultimate goal is to honor God through stewardship. Obedience and strategic planning can help us achieve that. Prov 16:3. Says Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed.
The idea is that we completely give something over to God in dependence upon Him. When we “commit” our work to the Lord, we offer everything we do completely to Him. Job 5:8 said but as for me, I would seek God, and to God I would commit my cause.
If we completely depend upon God in our plans, He will make it happen in His own way and in His own time.
Part of committing our work to God, of course, is seeking and following God’s will, (the scriptures) when our plan aligns with God’s will, then success will follow.
We must do the first part if we expect God to fulfill the second part. In other words, we can generally expect God to bless our work when we put our plans in His hands.
However, this does not mean we will never lose a job or have trouble in our work. Instead, we can expect God to fulfill His promise of Romans 8:28, We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Seeking God’s guidance in our plans: Prov 12:5 The plans of the righteous are just, but the advice of the wicked is deceitful.
Solomon is saying that how we think determines what we say. Our words are formed by our thoughts. If we are not right in the mind, we will not be right in the mouth.
He is telling us to get our head right before we start sharing our opinion or giving our suggestions. It is common that a man who is not healthy upstairs cannot give a good plan.
Right thoughts are the result of righteous hearts. Right thoughts are the result of pursuing righteousness, which is the outcome of having God in all of our thoughts. The fear of God and reliance on Him leads to righteousness, which then gives us right thoughts. Those right thoughts will eventually and naturally produce wise plan.
Proverbs 19:21 states; Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the purpose of the LORD will prevail. This verse reminds believers that while they are responsible for making plans, they must remain humble and open to God’s direction, acknowledging that His purposes will ultimately be fulfilled.
If we follow this proverb, we will not plan to fail but in the perfect and infinite wisdom of God. We will submit our plans and wisdom to His care. As Christians we must pray for our plans to align with God’s will. Phil 4:6–7 states; Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Solomon understood the importance of sensible planning. He worked out a design to build a temple for the Lord. He arranged the building of an impressive house for himself. And he laid out gardens and infrastructures. 1 Kings 3:1, 6:1, 7:15.
Solomon recognized the wisdom of consulting with others to make the best decisions Proverbs 11:14; Where there is no counsel, the people fall; But in the multitude of counselors there is safety. He knew the value of diligence when making plans Proverbs 14:15; The simple believes every word, But the prudent considers well his steps.
The man with sense starts with seeking God’s will and His direction Proverbs 3:5–6. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
However, Solomon was wise enough to know that human plans are never guaranteed to work out. He observes here that only God’s intents are destined to succeed.
James did not condemn planning, but noted that it should be done in humility to God. And he said; You ought to say, If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that, James 4:15.
Who gave Ant the wisdom to plan; It is the creator. Prov 6:6-8 says we should learn from the Ant. They plan for the rainy day when they will not be able to gather food. The ant knows that there is a time when gathering won’t be possible – so he plans and works hard when he can.
He also knows to store things up – to prepare for the times when there will be no food. A good plan saved human being from catastrophe, that is how Joseph after interpreting Pharaoh’s dreams devised a plan to store grain during seven years of abundance to prepare for the subsequent seven years of famine. His foresight and strategic planning not only saved Egypt but also preserved his own family.
Gen. 41: 33-45 Joseph made the plan on how to manage the situation, and Pharaoh made him the Prime Minister of Egypt and second in command in Egypt.
Joseph has taught us to plan for the future, when you are in employment or when your business is booming plan for the raining day like the ant. Nehemiah is another example of effective planning. Upon hearing about the desolation of Jerusalem, Nehemiah prayed and then carefully planed the rebuilding of the city’s walls. He assessed the situation, gathered resources, and organized the people, demonstrating the importance of preparation and leadership. Something of importance here is that before he presented the matter to the king, Nehemiah prayed. Neh 2:4.
Prov 21:5 says; The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty, but the plan of any one who is hasty, surely leads to poverty. (NKJV) That is a warning against neglecting planning. Hasty shortcuts mean there is no plan to follow.
Solomon is telling us that the plans laid with a sense of purpose and intention in the way of God are beneficial. They are not just haphazard plans; these are plans that are set in place with due diligence with wisdom to choose wisely.
Jesus Himself taught us about the necessity of planning. Lk 14:28-30, Which of you, wishing to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost to see if he has the resources to complete it? This teaching emphasized the importance of considering the cost and implications of one’s actions before proceeding. Spiritually Jesus laid out the terms of discipleship.
All worship activities are planned to foster orderliness and sanity.
The early church also engaged in planning, particularly in the organization and distribution of resources and that brought stability and orderliness to the church. In Acts 6:1-7. “Failing to plan is planning to fail.”
Wisdom in action. What do you think of this era of AI. Many things look real but they are not. Discerning is gradually becoming an issue to some. We need wisdom to visualize especially on-line and social media presentations.
Discernment: All the examples we have seen in the scriptures about planning that succeeded we see discernment in the action. They committed their plans to God and choose wisely and they succeeded. In Lk 16:8 The unjust steward had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light. (KJV)
Did the Lord really condone the actions of a thief? And are we supposed to go and do likewise? The answer is NO. The Lord is only telling us the intelligence that comes to play. If Christians put that type of intelligence into our worship, we will do better serving the Lord.
Do not copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:2. NLT.
In the eyes of the scripture discernment is the spiritual ability to distinguish between right and wrong, truth and error, good and evil, to use sound judgment, and not to rely on outward appearances or follow the world.
The unjust steward thinks ahead and planned for survival in the wrong way.
Plan your life “Follow who know road you will make the right choice”. Christ is the way the truth and the life. John 14:6.
Godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come. 1 Timothy 4:8.
Conclusion:
Planning is essential because it creates a roadmap for success, it reduces stress, and helps you make better living now and in the future. The Bible presents planning as a vital aspect of wise living, encouraging believers to seek God’s guidance, exercise diligence, and remain flexible to God leading the way. Through planning, Christians can effectively steward their resources and fulfill their God-given purposes.
God wants us to live a purposeful life. He does not want us to spend our lives just reacting to whatever happens. We must strive to guide our lives according to His principles, we have to spend time learning them and directing our lives according to them. We will find that God’s Word gives us a path – gives us counsel on how to live and how to plan to do things the godly way. To do this with diligence and purpose is wisdom indeed. This will ensure that we live a life that God blesses.
Prov 19:21. “You can make many plans, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail”. So, consider God in your plans and visions.
May God Bless His Words in our Hearts in Jesus Name, Amen.
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