The Personal Spiritual Plan

The Personal Spiritual Plan

December 11, 2019 –

“For I know the plans that I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11).

As we previously discussed, God has three spiritual plans: The Plan of Salvation is God’s plan for the redemption of humanity. It reveals how people become saved. God’s Master Spiritual Plan is the non-negotiable spiritual plan for all Christians. It shows how a person can walk with God. The third plan is a Personal Spiritual Plan that God develops in partnership with each Believer. It is customized and based on the gifts of individual believers and is the guide to spiritual growth.

The Personal Spiritual Plan is different. It is not as evident and straightforward as the other two plans. Because it is personal, it is unique. Because it is unique, the Personal Spiritual Plan is specifically tailored to you, your gifts, and your strengths. First, attempts at developing a Personal Spiritual Plan may prove difficult. Often you struggle in the early drafts. But like Jacob, hold on, stay the course and the sun will rise, and you will receive God’s plan for your life. Your plan may have begun with what you wanted, but it finds a happy ending with what God wants for you.

Your Personal Spiritual Plan answers the question, “What does God want to do through me to significantly affect His Kingdom’s work?” The focus is on contribution. To ask, “What would God have me do?” is to open yourself to His direction.

A Personal Spiritual Plan gives guidance and provides inspiration. The very act of creating a personal spiritual plan influences behavior toward consistency with that plan. You will be surprised at the surge of energy you receive as a result of your absolute commitment. You will quickly begin to see more clearly the way to get from here to there. As you began to put your plan down on paper, concrete action steps will become apparent, and you will quickly discover methods for removing obstacles that stand between you and your goal.

Help Is Available

God does not micromanage. Instead, He defines outcomes and allows His children to work their way to stated goals. For example, God wants you to love your neighbor. Nowhere does He itemize all the activities that you are to undertake to prove that you love your neighbor. Instead, He confronts you with love opportunities just as He confronted the Good Samaritan with a beaten and wounded Jewish traveler; the widow of Zarephath with a hungry prophet; Ananias of Damascus with a “blinded” Saul, and Paul and Silas with a distraught Philippian jailer.

Next Wednesday. God will not assign you a task without equipping you for it.