Does God Have a Strategic Plan for You? – by Ed Dunn
We are in the midst of an exciting strategic planning process here at Plain Truth Ministries (PTM). This planning process, which involves our team here in the Pasadena office, along with Brad Jersak in Canada, gives us an opportunity to take a fresh look at PTM’s mission, magazines and partner letters, books, on-line content, as well as the operations and procedures that support all we do in this ministry. As a closeknit team, we approach every aspect of this planning process prayerfully, as careful and conscientious stewards, asking God for guidance and wisdom as we look to the future. By definition, Strategic Planning is a type of planning done by an organization for a five-year period or longer. As such, PTM plans to employ this type of long-term planning on an ongoing and recuring basis.
Our mission at PTM has always been, and will always continue to be, All Jesus, All the Time. We will never waiver from the hope, comfort, encouragement, and healing to be found in Christ Jesus, and in the good news and grace of his true gospel. Another way we express this commitment is through our focus on faith alone, grace alone, and Christ Jesus alone. We together stand firm against the harms that toxic, Christ-less religion can perpetrate on the unsuspecting who are sincerely looking for a relationship with Christ. We plan to be a beacon of his hope, as God alone allows, for as long a period of time as we can.
In our planning, we believe that God not only blesses and provides for us, but that he expects us to follow Jesus. God does not force specific details upon us, rather, he gives us inspiration and direction as we yield to and follow our Lord.
With the planning in mind, let’s ask a timely and relevant question: Does God have a Strategic plan for each and every Christ-follower?
The concepts of God’s Will and God’s Plan for Christians are hallmarks of modern-day, evangelical Christian teaching. Not a Sunday goes by in many such church settings where these ideas aren’t addressed in detailed sermons and then applied specifically to those listening in the audience. Many such listeners hope with all of their hearts that the pastor preaching from the stage is right, and can offer some clear guidance for their lives. All-to-often, the pastor’s guidance is somewhat disappointing, and can leave the listeners with an honest sense of confusion. I know, as I am one of those listeners sitting in an audience, tying to make sense of the words I am hearing.
As Christ-followers, we believe the answer to the question, Does God have a Strategic Plan for each and every Christian? is both Yes and No. There is a bigger picture and a smaller picture to consider as we look at this question.
Why Yes: As Christ-followers, we believe that God’s plan of salvation in and through Christ Jesus has been in place from the creation of the world (Revelation 13:8, NIV). Father, Son and Holy Spirit have invited us into a spiritual life together with the Godhead, and a physical life together in communion with and the community of fellow-believers. God’s will for us, and plan for us, is that we be fully alive in Christ Jesus – to trust and rest in him, to be transformed by his indwelling life within us, and to live freely from his love, joy, and peace towards those in the world around us. We believe that in Christ Jesus, each event, opportunity, challenge, and limitation we may face, while not explicitly caused or ordained by God, can be a specific situation in which he may, as we yield to him, empower us so that he may produce his fruit within us, and thus, even difficult and problematic events can lead to an ultimate good; ultimately achieving his good purpose and pleasure. And, of course, we can learn from all that happens to us in life.
Why No: Many Christ-followers across the modern-day religious spectrum believe that every event, opportunity, challenge, and limitation faced in life is God ordained; set in the Christ-follower’s path in order to teach, reward, punish or otherwise give some sort of “feedback” to the Christian’s choices and behaviors. It is as if anything that happens is a “report card,” letting the believer know exactly where he or she stands with God. Within this line of thought, there’s little room allowed for life – as life is, and as life unfolds. Rather, absolutely everything that happens must have a plan and purpose, a point of instruction, and a result that lets us know clearly if we are in God’s good graces or not. Sadly, this belief can lead to disappointment and confusion, as to who God is and how he lives in us, as so much of what happens in life never fully satisfies the human mind.
Two Favorite Scriptures
Romans 8:28 is a favorite scripture often quoted in the context of answering this question: And we know that in all things God works for the good of all those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose (NIV). A second favorite scripture is found in Jeremiah 29:11: For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. These two scriptures, one found in a letter of Paul, and the other found in one of the major prophets, are absolutely beautiful in their lyric and meaning. One passage is found in the Old Testament and the other in the New. One is found in the writings that make up the Old Covenant, and the other is found in the New Covenant. Both are deeply poetic and passionate in the truth they express.
The context of Jeremiah’s words, often appropriated and quoted in evangelical and “health-wealth gospel” churches, address the promise made to Israel in the Old Covenant – the promise of the land, as the Israelites were leaving captivity. To read these words out of their context and to apply them literally to a Christian in a modern-day setting can be dangerous. Of course, our God is loving, and wants to spiritually prosper a Christ-follower through life in and with his son. In that sense, God does give hope and a future. But to apply these words as a literal promise in our time is not a responsible reading of the scripture.
Paul’s words are set in a bigger context of explaining our lives in Christ Jesus, in the need for a new and better covenant, and how the people of God, still quite human, no longer live from the law, but rather from life in Christ.
God’s plan of salvation is indeed a strategic plan, a deeply personal plan, to bring the ultimate good to the life of a Christ-follower, as and when we choose to embrace his grace and love. Christ Jesus gives each and every Christian his spiritual prosperity, the riches of God’s grace, his indwelling life, and the hope and future that his life in us brings. His gifts of love, joy and peace then flow from us to others. The hope, comfort, encouragement, and healing God brings to the world transforms both the life of the Christ-follower who participates, and those touched by such spiritual gifts. God’s will and plan is to bless all who know the grace of his Son, and who believe in his holy name.
We know that in this physical human life, time and chance do happen to us all, even Christ-followers (Ecclesiastes 9:11). We know that there is such a thing as natural law. Human actions can and do have natural and human consequences. But God works in the midst of all, as and when we accept the new life of our Risen Lord within us. Christ Jesus redeems and can turn the bad to good, the darkness of our lives to light, and our periodic and temporary doubt and despair to ultimate hope. We rest in and rejoice in the sure knowledge that God’s strategic plan of salvation is for more than a mere five-year period of time. Christ Jesus’ spiritual prospering is eternal, and our future with him and in him is secure. We greatly respect and appreciate the opportunity to plan well here at PTM. To be honest, the planning process comes with a real joy and camaraderie. As we like to say, it is a joy, not a job in this ministry. This work is a blessing to us all. To partner with you, our dear Friends and Partners, to share the good news of the gospel, is an honor. To bring hope, comfort, encouragement, and healing to those who need it most is a gift. We give thanks for this gift each day.
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Plain Truth Ministries | Box 300 | Pasadena, CA 91129-0300
