Don't Just Do Something, Stand There!

In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps. --Proverbs 16:9

My husband is a particularly analytical guy, which is one of the things I like most about him. He is able to look at a situation calmly and rationally before jumping ahead with an action plan. He prayerfully considers the options and then, as they say in NASA's space program, awaits the "go/no go for launch."

I am admittedly the opposite. I compulsively attempt to control the details and outcomes of the events in my life, only to realize that I am not the one in control after all. No matter how many plans I make--even if they are admirable or worthwhile ones, God's is the one who makes the final call on what happens in my life.

This isn't to say that my plans don't line up with God's. When I am truly seeking to abide in Christ and to align myself with His will and desire for me, it is much easier to see the path he has laid out for me. A few examples come to mind that demonstrate how God blessed me with the things I desired--it just took a different path than I expected.

My husband and I have to continually remind each other that God's plan for us involves a lot of prayer on our parts. This doesn't mean that the more we pray about something the more likely it is for us to get what we want. Instead, it means that the more time we spend in prayer about a particular issue, the more we are able to recognize God's will. When this happens we see that God makes it very obvious which doors are open, which ones are closed, and which ones may only be slightly ajar at this point.

The bottom line is, we are not to be complacent in the way we live out God's will in our lives, nor do we need to be overly proactive about making things happen. There are times when it is far better to just stand there rather than do something out of selfish ambition. Our hearts determine our plans and our course, which points us in the right direction--but the energy to put one foot in front of the other on a particular path comes from God, as does the speed in which we take to that path.