There are days where we have plans to do things but by the end of the day nothing we planned to do was accomplished. It could have been due to distractions, other people's situations or something even greater than what we could have ever imagined. Plans don't always go as we would like for them to go so we have to plan ahead understanding what we want to do may not always be what God wants us to be doing.
Romans 6:20-23 "When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right. And what was the result? You are now ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom. But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord."
Our reasons for wanting to get things done are never as important as God's reasons for us doing things. He knows what we should be doing every day. He knows where we should be giving and who we need to be talking to. He knows what actions we are to take and what things we need to stay away from. We may make plans for a year from now but we need to realize plans can change if that is what God wants.
Once we understand whatever we have planned may need to change, we will be able to handle the change better. We should never get our heart set so strongly on doing something in a particular way because there are thousands of ways something can be done. The end result is what is important.
The best thing we need to do before planning is to look at the end results. We need to really think about the end results God wants us to have. We can find what He wants in the Bible. We can find what end results He is looking for in us by reading His word and talking to Him. We can gain support and assistance from other believers by sharing what God is asking us to do with them.
When we find the end result God wants us to have, we need to begin taking action. Our action plans are important but we need to ask God for His plans. As we move forward in our plans, we need to understand the results will be more important that the activities we do. It is good to enjoy the process as we work toward a goal, but we have to be flexible and be ready for change.
If we look at everything we do as a chore and we dread it, we aren't going to enjoy the process. If we look at what we do as working toward an end result for God, we will be more willing to make adjustments as He sees fit. There will even be times where we have to start over completely. We shouldn't look back at it as a waste of time but a learning opportunity.
Keeping our eye on the end result and being flexible about the action steps we need to take to reach our goals will help us enjoy the process. Knowing our goals are what God wants us to do will help us get the support we need from Him. When we are willing to start over, try something different or get help from others to accomplish a goal, then we can continue to focus on the end result God wants and we can make a difference.
Acts 20:24 "But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus-the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God."