Plan The Work, and Work The Plan

Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty. Wealth created by lying is a vanishing mist and a deadly trap. Because the wicked refuse to do what is just, their violence boomerangs and destroys them. (Proverbs 21:5-7)

Rem is an outstanding school teacher. She places insights into the minds of young people. The retention rate of her children are high. Each improve in their skills above the next grade level of expectation, and excel in their required standardized texts. Ask the students why they learn from Ms. Rem, and they will tell you: "she is a good teacher" and they love her. "Because she loves us;" you will hear them say. Ask the same question of Rem and you come away knowing rules of faith.

Rem is a Christian, who begins each day in prayer. She knows to pray. She is aware of others who pray for her, so that she is never alone. She accepts and understands the love of God. She is loved by her Christian leader, family members, colleagues, students and their parents. She walks in the assurance of being loved with the hope of her students success. Each student receives what she teaches and gives back in the best of their knowledge.

Existence requires a walk of faith. A good walker understands that there are rules to follow on the journey. While learning to walk and jog in my youth, my parents encouraged me to pray, exercise and warm up my body eating healthy before taking off on the pathway to school. I continue the routine today on the pathway of life. Looking back over the years, 18 years beyond mid-life as promised, I note that good teachers such as Rem had what I term the rules of faith in common. In keeping the routines of their faith, they helped others and me gain success. What are these rules of faith?

One of my greatest teachers of ministry would say: "Luonne, plan the work, and work the plan." You may ask how is that taking a walk of faith? There is no "good plan" without God. Nothing in life is good without God. In fact, all of life would be good, if humanity would not turn away from God. You may argue the point, but pray and discover the reality. Within planning and working we find the rules of faith:

1. Trust your thoughts to be guided by God.
2. Trust your desirable outcomes to the will of God.
3. Trust your abilities to carry out what God has purposed you to do.
4. Trust the implementation of plans born from your thoughts and informed by your research.
5. Trust your methods of passing on the insights granted by grace unto you.
6. Trust your working each step of the plan of implementation with feasible actions.
7. Trust the results of your process to God.

In so living by the rules of faith, the wisdom writer affirms success and prosperity. Rem is an example of this truth. She soars. Let the wise follow suit by taking no shortcut toward the destination. Too many students of shortcuts are cut short on successful living.

Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, teach us to trust the process you have planned for us, so that we may gain the prosperity of eternity. Amen.