If the Lord Wills

I find it difficult to make plans. I was raised to believe that once you have given your word that you would do something then you are honor bound to keep that commitment. The Lord and his apostles also teach us this. Our yes is to be yes and our no, no. James informs us that our plans are to be made in light of the Lord's will.

I am working on becoming more decisive. I want to approach everything in a prayerful attitude and walk in faith. I want to be able to say, "I have committed these plans to the Lord, if he allows, this is what we will do." The reality is that sometimes plans change. A person may think he has to leave by a certain time, and the phone rings or he is headed out for dinner and a friend drops by. These things can't really be planned, but they can be kept in mind when we are making our plans.

If you tell someone that you will be there at 6 p. m. you need to do everything in your power to be there by the determined time. However, you might want to tell them that your plans are to be on time, and Lord willing you will be. This doesn't mean that you wait to leave your house at 5:50 and expect the Lord to turn a thirty minute drive into a ten minute one. Being fifteen minutes late because you got a ticket doesn't qualify as providential hindrance. It is receiving the consequences of poor planning and law breaking. It is much better to leave early and give yourself ample time to get where you are going.

Let's say that you have to meet your friends at 6, so you leave your house an hour early in order to give yourself plenty of time to arrive. While driving to your friend's house you see someone stranded on the side of the road in need of assistance. With time to spare, it may be that you can pull over and offer them assistance, help them change a tire, or let them use your cell phone to call someone. Now if assisting them takes more time than you anticipated, then you can say to your friend, "I was providentially hindered." God in his providence had placed you in the path of someone in need, with the ability to help them, and called you to love your neighbor. Thus, you did everything in your power to be on time, but something unplanned for held you up.