Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: “Planning”
Our Bible verse for today: “The plans of the diligent certainly lead to profit, but anyone who is reckless certainly becomes poor.” Proverbs 21:5 (HCSB)
Our thought for today: “Planning provides focus”
You’ve probably heard the old adage, “Aim at something and you just might hit it, aim at nothing and you’ll hit it every time.” In other words, if you’re not aiming at a specific target that you want to hit, then the results of your efforts will be from random chance, and that may turn out good or bad – but probably bad.
Here’s another old saying that can be very helpful: “Plan your work and then work your plan.” Give careful thought to what you’re trying to accomplish, think through the steps required to accomplish it, then work your plan and stick to it.
That’s the point Solomon was making in Proverbs 21:5. Those who are serious about accomplishing meaningful things with their time and efforts will take the time to plan their activities. Then they will be diligent about carrying out that plan. Those who don’t do that are actually being somewhat reckless. They’re leaving the results up to chance and more often then not, their efforts will either prove to be wasted entirely, or they will certainly be less successful than if they had taken the time to make a plan.
There are many Biblical principles which support the idea of doing good planning and then being diligent about working the plan. First and foremost would be the Apostle Paul’s instruction in Colossians 3:23: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.” (NIV) In other words, do your best. Don’t be casual, nonchalant, and thoughtless about it.
But your efforts aren’t going to be your best if you haven’t thought it through and devised a plan. That certainly applies to the work environment, but not just to the workplace. It applies to all areas of life. Paul wrote, “Whatever” you do, do it with all your heart.
My personal observation from more than sixty-two years of life, forty-five of them in the workforce and most of those in positions of leadership, is that those who are focused and diligent have the most productive and successful lives and those who are unfocused, indifferent, and even lazy, end up with lives that are much less than what they otherwise could have been.
God wants us to strive to be the best that we can be and do the best that we can do. Planning provides focus, and that helps to keep us on track and moving forward.
God Bless,
Pastor Jim
Oak Hill Baptist Church 