Having a Plan

October 24, 2022

Sometimes it’s hard to see connections between occurrences. Is my decreasing ability to jump high related to a lack of a certain type of exercise? If constancy in caloric intake gradually results in a gain in weight, can that be explained by being more organized and taking fewer unnecessary steps? Does more frequent interaction with people on social media deepen friendships?

We need perspective. Distance allows a better view of the big picture. Time will tell if certain things work. However, perspective is not always possible, I’m afraid.

Are there alternatives to perspective? If we can’t get the time or distance, how can we know the way things ought to fit together? First, we can trust a friend who has already travelled the road we’re on. Second, we can dig into history. Third, if we can see a successful path that has been tried and works, we can safely go in that same direction. If we wait for a time when we have all the answers to our questions, we’ll never move forward.

I don’t always understand the commands in the Bible, but I know I’ve found a lifestyle that works. For instance, giving a tenth of my income to God’s work (tithing) has resulted in having enough money to meet my needs. Respect for parents allows us to hear their well-seasoned advice. Not telling lies keeps us from having to tell other lies later to cover up the first one. There are seemingly disconnected words of wisdom throughout the Bible that somehow fit together to make a splendid lifestyle.

We waste time and energy trying to put together a life, piece by piece. The pattern is already available, tried and true. As the old saying goes, we don’t have to “reinvent the wheel.”

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.” Proverbs 3:5