February in some
ways is where the resolutions and great intentions made on New Year’s Day come
to die. In February the resolve to lose those extra pounds amassed in previous Fall
holidays is swallowed up by Valentine’s Day and gorging sweet chocolate treats.
In February one might imagine the Fitbit purchased in January beginning to send
alerts, “Are you alive?” The lack of physical activity has activated an
automated message system! In February the gym membership card misplaced in
early January is found under a crumpled potato chip bag beside an empty two
liter bottle of Mountain Dew. In February the intention of being more
disciplined about time spent on information and communication technology has
been sabotaged by a new collection of apps and more connections made on
Facebook or “Words with Friends.” February, upon reflection, confronts us with
the reality that positive plans hatched in early January have somehow ended in
dismal defeat in just one month.
Numerous individuals have shared their thoughts
about the importance of planning. Benjamin Franklin warns, “By failing to
prepare, you are preparing to fail.” On the other hand former President Dwight
D. Eisenhower rightly observes, “In preparing for battle I have always found
that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.” In other words planning
carries no guarantees, so it is wise to plan while realizing there may be different
outcomes to your plans. Perhaps cartoonist and writer, Alan Sauders is correct
when he concludes, “Life is what happens to us while we are making other
plans.”
A Pakistani writer and teacher concludes,
“The intelligent have plans; the wise have principles.” Perhaps he has
uncovered a valuable ingredient to success in achieving our plans – principles.
Principles energize and focus our plans so that they can stay on course and
have endurance in the face of obstacles that would thwart them. It is
impressive to scan the Bible and see how God used people who were committed to
principles that guided their plans. Those principles enabled them to be people
who could carry out the plans God had for their lives. Joseph in Genesis 37 –
50 is one such person. God gave him two dreams revealing a great future for him.
Soon after these revelations, life became bleak for him. During a period of
thirteen years he was hated by his brothers, sold into slavery, falsely accused
of rape by a master’s wife, imprisoned, and then to add insult to his agony he
was overlooked in prison for several years. One would think that this dark
period of life would certainly squelch any plans one might have had. Yet we
find certain principles still alive in Joseph’s life.
A key principle that guided him was that
he was answerable to God. When tempted to engage in sexual immorality he
responded, “How could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” (39:9). He
saw that in order to enjoy God’s plan for him he needed be a person of purity
no matter what opportunity may arise. Essentially what God thinks of us is more
important that what others do.
Another principle that kept him focused was
he knew that current circumstances were not where God ultimately planned him to
be. Servitude and prison were not where he belonged (40:15). God had revealed a
different plan for his life. Too often God’s plan for a person’s life is
shattered by current events. One stops living by hope for the future and cower in
despair at our present realities. The Apostle Paul reminds God’s people that
present sufferings “are not worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed
in us” (Romans 8:18). Honestly, life can be painfully hard. One must realize
that what one currently faces is not the ultimate plan God has for those who
are His children.
A final principle that aided Joseph in his
life is to recognize that God’s plan is bigger than we can imagine. When Joseph
is finally released from prison and elevated in the kingdom of Egypt, he
encounters his brothers – the very brothers who sold him into slavery! How he
responded to his brothers reveals a principle-driven life. The brothers assumed
that they would receive retaliation from their mistreated brother. Instead they
heard a brother saying that even their evil actions had been used by God to
accomplish His purposes. They heard words of explanation, not retribution.
Joseph says, “Do not be angry with yourselves for selling me to here, because
it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you… it was not you who sent me
here, but God… You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to
accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives” (45:5,8; 50:20). Seeing
a bigger picture of one’s life allows us to see plans and outcomes through a
different perspective.
Joseph had a great plan that God had
revealed for his life. Associated with those plans were great principles that
carried him through the twists and turns of his life. Other children of God
experience a similar reality as they live by principle not just plans. Carson
Wentz, quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles, on December 10 was planning on
scoring a touchdown as he ran for the goal line. He was not planning on tearing
his ACL ligament and ending his exceptional season. He tweeted after the
injury, “I greatly appreciate all the prayers! I know my God is a powerful one
with a perfect plan. Time to just lean in to him and trust whatever the
circumstances! #Proverbs3:5-6” Here is a man who had great plans but is guided
and focused upon even greater principles. People who live life this way will
have a great impact upon the world around them, even when their plans don’t go
as planned. Are we people guided merely by plans or mainly by principles?
