Plan for Faith

I find it odd how we plan for everything in life but faith. We tend to think that faith just happens. Unlike practically everything else in life, somehow faith just occurs.

Consider the following:

• We have academic programs complete with each class or course that must be completed to earn a degree, diploma, or certification.
• For careers, prerequisites and requirements must be satisfied for employment.
• Financially, criteria must be kept for credit scores, loans, and money management.
• Organizations and clubs have standards prior to entry.
• For health, eat right, exercise, and rest. Negate any of those and your health will wane.

We know what we must do, so we plan to reach whatever our goal is.

Nature itself reveals a plan, or at least a pattern. Plants don’t just grow. Seedlings must fall. The proper amount of water and sunlight must occur. Temperatures regulated. Ground PH must be optimum. It’s like nature shows us that if you want this, then this must happen, then that, and so forth. The point is a pattern exists—a plan, orchestrate by God, is present. Even the creation story in the Bible reveals God had a plan. Additionally, He brought order to chaos. It was ordered.

Now I know of Jesus’ teaching that the Spirit is like the wind. Where it begins and ends, we don’t know. However, when the Spirit blows, we must act. We must do something. Like the Apostle Paul, when the Spirit revealed to him to go to Macedonia, Paul had to pack his things, find a way to get there, and head out. Paul had a plan, including what he would do when he got there.

What is your plan for the faith God has given you?

Let me provide a few simple steps to help.

Step 1: Spend some time thinking about your faith. Dwell on it. Ponder your faith story. How did you come to the place you are in faith right now?

Step 2: Envision your faith in the future. Ask God to show you where he is leading you. Where do you want to be in your faith in 3-5 years? Yes, that sounds like a long way off, I know. But think about it. Pray about it.

Step 3: Once you have a vision for your faith, ask yourself what you need to do to get there. How do you plan to become the person God wants you to be or even do what God is calling you to do?

Step 4: Focus on what you need to do first, and then work it into your life. Want to read your Bible more? Set aside an additional five minutes for reading, even one-minute more is an increase. Read an additional verse a day.

Step 5: Measure your progress. To make progress, you must know you are making progress. Using the previous example: How many days this week did you read an additional verse?

Step 6: Simple daily actions for habits. Keep taking the next step until you do not even have to think about the next step because it has become a habit for you. You will still need to be intentional, but over time you will find taking daily steps becomes second nature.

Step 7: Daily, remind yourself of what you are doing. This is especially true at the beginning of a faith journey. I suggest even, go through steps 1-4 every morning. Follow the teachings of scripture. Lay your plans before God, allowing Him to direct your steps.

Great people of faith didn’t just wake up one morning with great faith. They were intentional in what they did. Every day they set out to live their lives for God and accomplish what God had called them to do. It mattered not if the vision was to build a community outreach, go on a mission trip, or become a prayer warrior for God. They took daily steps.

Know what God is calling you to in your faith. Figure out how to get there. Take steps every day.