When Plans Change

Sometimes, we make plans that just don’t work out the way we expect. For us, we fully expected and planned to be attending in-person training in Colorado for the entire month of January. When we found out that the training was cancelled, we felt like we were back at square one. It took some discussion and readjusting to find the new steps we would take.

Admittedly, this was a small change of plans, but sometimes changes in plans aren’t so small: a calling to a new ministry field, unexpected additions to the family, loss and grieving, extreme weather and disaster, job loss, pandemics and sickness, death, and so many more things. When our plans are derailed in such a life-altering way, it’s easy to lose sight of God and His sovereignty as well as His providence. Sometimes, we may even start to question God’s plan, timing, or if He really cares for us.

The Bible has a lot to say about planning. Many verses in Proverbs talk about the importance of preparation as well as the necessity of committing your plans to the Lord. But there is a passage in James that tells us not to be so adhered to our plans. It says, “Instead, you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.’” This is a very open-handed approach with our plans.

It’s not so difficult when the plans are small, like the cancellation of a training class. It’s much more difficult when it’s something like a loss or a pandemic. How can we be this open-handed with our plans and our lives? We don’t have the answers, but we’ve been discussing this while recently reading the book of Job. Perhaps the answer is found in taking our eyes off the plans, off the catalyst for change, and fixated onto who God is.

Reminders of His goodness, love, trustworthiness, sovereignty, and providence will help us to change our focus. We can then start to understand that our view of our circumstances is limited. God’s view is unlimited, and because we can trust Him, we can surrender to Him as He guides us through the changes.

This doesn’t mean that there won’t be grieving if the change is hard. And God is with us in our time of grieving. Just because He asks for our full trust doesn’t mean He doesn’t allow space for that grieving. Our best foot forward includes full trust in Him, surrender to His will, and leaning on Him for comfort through the grieving. “What you ought to say is, ‘If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” James 4:15