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20.12.2014 Feature Article

When Our Plans Backfire

When Our Plans Backfire
20.12.2014 LISTEN

The LORD turned to him and said, "Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian's hand. Am I not sending you?” Judges 6:14 (NIV)

Most people have a dream or goal in life. It is no wonder that in his 1954 book Motivation and Personality for example Abraham Maslow points to self actualisation as the highest of needs as per the hierarchy of human needs. Nevertheless, it is said that the cemetery is the richest place on earth because there in the grave are countless potentials, ideas or dreams that did not see the light of day hence perishing with their human associates. Thus this self actualisation demands effort that is why people make plans or set goals to achieve them. Hence self-improvement, motivation, peak performance etc has become a lucrative industry as there is no short of people in need of such services.

Does SMART, SWOT Analysis, Strategic Planning ring a bell? Almost all the literature on the realising of goals point in one direction: set the goal; consider the needed resources; divide it into mini goals/small steps; proceed from one step to the other and you end up realising the main goal.

But there are those times when with the best of intentions and efforts, you set a goal; divide it into mini goals; start with a step and before you realise; you are not making any headway. On the contrary, you may even be retrogressing despite all the hard work. That is when you wonder if God did not have enough time to read any of those articles or has not heard of these strategies!

'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts' Isaiah 55:8-9. Often we look at the natural and are disappointed because we cannot understand God's divine perspective. When we have goals or dreams or methods that will end up destroying us, God steps in to destroy such plans. Most of the time, it makes no sense to us; it even looks unfair and unjust but His infinite ways our beyond our finite ways. But if we do not get it, we might end up employing desperate measures 'trying to help God 'like Sarah did in suggesting Abraham sleeps with her maid so they can have a heir which eventually backfired.

Gideon had to learn this fact when God asked him to reduce the size of his military from 22,000 to only 300 men to fight the mighty Midianite army. Given the size of the task ahead and considering the military technology at that time, this was against common sense to say the least; neither was it smart or strategic planning either! It rather looks suicidal or more of kamikaze tactics of World War II. However in the end, this alternative route rather secured resounding success. We need to appreciate that our meticulous planning, credentials, education, technology, networks what have you are good and worthwhile. However it is the grace and mercies of God that ultimately guarantees real success and fulfilment in our endeavours and for that matter life.

Sometimes we may not understand God's methods, so we need not worry when we seem not to be recording much progress or fret or try to measure our output by manmade standards. What we have to do is to ensure we are doing what He wants us to do and trust exclusively in his timing. Having God by your side is a recipe for success as he makes everything beautiful in His time.

References:
Ginny Dix (2014): CBN Daily Devotion -Five Pennies or One Quarter?

Eddie Jones (2014): CBN Daily Devotion- God: The One Percent Solution

http://www.cbn.com/SpiritualLife/Devotions/joneseddie-one-percent.aspx?cpid=DEVO_2013_320 accessed on 20.11.14

Wikipedia (2014): Maslows Hierarchy of Needs http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow%27s_hierarchy_of_needs accessed on 20.11.14

Biblegateway (2014): Isaiah 55:8-9
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2055&version=KJV accessed on 20.11.14

Dr Myles Munroe (2014): Dr. Myles Munroe speaks about death

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7F4ZJb2SPsQ accessed on 20.11.14

Wikipedia (2014): Kamikaze
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamikaze accessed on 20.11.14

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