Pursuing God’s Ways in Planning

Pursuing God’s Ways in Planning

The first six principles of this Framework for Transformation mostly look at how God’s ways affect our efforts to walk with people who are vulnerable. We learned that God’s glory—not improved lives—is our highest calling. That biblical truth and obedience—not big projects—are what’s necessary to overcome poverty. And that we need to see vulnerable people the way God does—made in His image with immense potential and a high calling. 

Now let’s pause to consider how pursuing God’s ways affects how we run our organizations.

Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing, and perfect will.” If we run our organizations by the world’s standards, best practices, or norms, we risk missing out on knowing and experiencing God’s perfect will. As Christians, we need to start with scripture and seek to know God’s will for every area of our ministries. In this article, we will look specifically at the area of organizational planning.

What does God’s word say about strategic planning?

The Bible seems to be much more interested in how well people hear and obey the voice of God than in the nuts-and-bolts of making plans. Although planning methods and strategic plan documents may be helpful tools for us, they certainly aren’t the biblical standard by which God will judge our organizations. Rather, a careful study of the Bible seems to show that a good plan entails:

• Receiving a revelation from God. Noah received the plans for the arc by divine revelation. Likewise, when Joseph made a plan to get Egypt through the seven-year famine, it started with a revelation from God. The detailed instructions for building the temple were also from God. Do we take the time to pray, asking God for wisdom and guidance, and then to listen for His response?
• Dependence on God. Our desire for God Himself, as we look to Him for guidance and provision, is what pleases His heart. There are so many verses reminding God’s people to seek the Lord, to submit their plans to Him, and to trust in Him rather than in human help or wisdom. Maybe that’s why God so rarely gives a five or ten year plan, but more often reveals just one step at a time—so that we won’t be tempted to run off and try to follow the plan on our own.
• Obedience. Once we do hear from God, our task is simply to obey. Although this is no “formula for success” (not by the world’s standards anyway) committing to simple obedience is freeing. All that pressure that we sometimes feel to raise funds, accomplish objectives, and prove impact—we can leave it all in God’s hands, knowing that if the plan is from Him, so too are the results. 

How do we ensure we’re moving in the right direction?

It is quite possible to operate a church or ministry with no five-year strategic plan. Having no strategic plan doesn’t mean that every department, leader, and program is free to go off in any direction they choose. There are two practical things—both with good biblical precedent—that we can do to make sure we are moving forward in the right direction. 

First, we can ask ourselves, “What has God called us to do?” Many Christian organizations began when their founder sensed a very specific calling from God. Similarly, God’s directives to Noah, Joseph, and the Israelites in the examples above necessitated years, and sometimes decades, of faithful obedience to accomplish. Assuming that God gave our organizations a specific calling, anything that hinders, veers, or distracts us from that calling needs to be prayed over quite thoroughly before going forward. Has God really changed the call? 

Secondly, we can look for where God is at work, and seek to respond. This is how Jesus described His ministry in John 5:19: “The Son can only do what He sees His Father doing…” When we simply respond to God where He is working, we can move forward with the peace of mind that He is responsible for the funding, the fruit, and the timing of the results. Once again, we are freed from the pressure that we so often feel, especially around showing impact and raising funds.

Conclusion

While making plans can be a helpful tool for us in ministry, we shouldn’t elevate it to the level of “biblical mandate.” Pursuing God’s ways means that, when we do make plans, we try to do so in the context of listening to God and seeking revelation from Him. 

In the next article we’ll take a closer look at how pursuing God’s ways impacts our communications and fundraising.