A God-honoring approach to planning

Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. (Proverbs 16:3)

You and I are always planning something at work: projects, marketing campaigns, hiring strategies, budgets, goals—the list goes on and on. God’s Word frequently extols the wisdom of planning (see Proverbs 21:5; Proverbs 24:27; Luke 14:28). But it also gives us a lot of instruction for how to plan in a God-honoring way.

Today’s passage is a great example: You and I are called to commit our work and our planning to God. To ask him to lead and guide us as we make decisions about the future.

Why is this so important? Beyond the fact that God commands it, let me share two reasons.

First, committing our planning to the Lord is wise because he knows the future and you and I don’t. As God says in Jeremiah 29:11, “I know the plans I have for you.” Now, this was spoken specifically to the Jews living in exile, but it is also true for us. We believe that God is omniscient. “He knows everything” (1 John 3:20). Not committing our planning to him and asking him for wisdom would be like having the world’s most accomplished mathematician as your father and not asking for help on your homework.

Second, we ought to commit our planning to the Lord because he promises to give us wisdom. James 1:5 says that “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” Not “it might be given to you.” It will if you “believe and not doubt” (see James 1:6). I don’t know about you, but I need wisdom as I make plans for my work and life. I crave it. The good news is that we have a heavenly Father who longs to share his infinite wisdom with us (see Matthew 7:11).

What are you planning today at work? An event? A sales strategy? Next quarter’s Objectives and Key Results? Commit your plans to the Lord in prayer right now. Ask for his wisdom and trust that he’ll provide it.

Today’s devotional only scratches the surface of how God’s Word connects to our work. If you want to go deeper, sign up for my free 20-day devotional, The Word Before Work Foundations. These email devotionals are designed to help you gain a rich understanding of the biblical narrative of work, how exactly your work matters for eternity, and how those truths influence how we should work today. Sign up for free right now at twbwfoundations.com.