I am a planner.

That is why I love Jesus’ words to those who wish to follow him in Luke 14. He pictures a man going out to build a tower. Will he not estimate the cost before starting the work to see if he has enough money to complete it? Imagine a king going out to war against another king. Will he not calculate the size of the armies before going into battle? Jesus is underlining to those who wish to follow him that they need to think and plan before they leave home.

If you want to be a disciple, first, you need to think through all the ramifications of that decision and how you will handle them. In other words, even discipleship requires a plan.

Many people prefer to live organically. Just let everything happen naturally, after all, God is involved, and the book of Proverbs underlines that he directs a person’s journey. God is the one who ultimately determines the direction of our lives. 

Here is my argument, God can direct your steps while planning. Reading, praying, seeking advice, and thinking things through are ways God can guide your future. God can work in us to develop the plans needed to accomplish his will. Too often, people use God as an excuse to be lazy and thoughtless on our journey of faith.  

The biggest question you must answer is, “What is your plan to grow in your faith?” 

Not having a plan is not a sign that you are “trusting God with your future,” instead, it is a signal that you are not growing spiritually because you usually give into the tyranny of the urgent. The acts of prayer, reading, fasting, and giving are called spiritual disciples because it takes discipline to do them. And discipline does not exist without a plan.