When Your Plan Doesn't Match God's Plan
Summarized Sermon from Rick Warren
What should we do when our plan does not materialize?
First, choose faith over fear and worry. Do not be anxious. 2 Tim 1:7. Phrases like “Not be afraid” appear 365 times in the Bible. Choose to trust that God is in control (Job 25:2), and He works for the good of those who love him. Romans 8:28.
Be patient. We tend to focus on the short term. God told the prophet Habakkuk not to despair though things were terrible. Habakkuk 1:2; 2:3. Like planting, life has seasons. There are winters and there are springs. When we are in winters, wait for springs to come. James 5:7.
Think things through. Do not take things at face value and jump to conclusions. Haste makes waste. Get the facts, get the truth, get the insights, and hold tightly onto them. Proverbs 25:8; 14:15; and 23:23.
Learn from our failures. During Isaiah’s time, Israel was in shambles. The Israelites should have studied their failures and repented. But they did not. They wasted their failures. Isaiah 42:24-25. Try not to let a good crisis go to waste.
Learn to give thanks in all circumstances. This is different from giving thanks for everything. For example, it would be difficult to thank God for COVID. But we could give thanks to God even with COVID among us because this is God’s will for us and we trust Him. 1 Thessalonians 5:18.
Finally, focus not on what we can see but on the unseen. Focus on the eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:18. Need to remember we are citizens of heaven. Philippians. 3:20.
To conclude, if our plan does not materialize, do not be afraid. Instead, trust God’s sovereignty and love, and wait for Him. Think things through to gain insights and learn from our failures. Also, give thanks to God and focus on the eternal.
Summarized from a Rick Warren’s sermon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXPyoZ5uBds
First, choose faith over fear and worry. Do not be anxious. 2 Tim 1:7. Phrases like “Not be afraid” appear 365 times in the Bible. Choose to trust that God is in control (Job 25:2), and He works for the good of those who love him. Romans 8:28.
Be patient. We tend to focus on the short term. God told the prophet Habakkuk not to despair though things were terrible. Habakkuk 1:2; 2:3. Like planting, life has seasons. There are winters and there are springs. When we are in winters, wait for springs to come. James 5:7.
Think things through. Do not take things at face value and jump to conclusions. Haste makes waste. Get the facts, get the truth, get the insights, and hold tightly onto them. Proverbs 25:8; 14:15; and 23:23.
Learn from our failures. During Isaiah’s time, Israel was in shambles. The Israelites should have studied their failures and repented. But they did not. They wasted their failures. Isaiah 42:24-25. Try not to let a good crisis go to waste.
Learn to give thanks in all circumstances. This is different from giving thanks for everything. For example, it would be difficult to thank God for COVID. But we could give thanks to God even with COVID among us because this is God’s will for us and we trust Him. 1 Thessalonians 5:18.
Finally, focus not on what we can see but on the unseen. Focus on the eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:18. Need to remember we are citizens of heaven. Philippians. 3:20.
To conclude, if our plan does not materialize, do not be afraid. Instead, trust God’s sovereignty and love, and wait for Him. Think things through to gain insights and learn from our failures. Also, give thanks to God and focus on the eternal.
Summarized from a Rick Warren’s sermon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXPyoZ5uBds