In the Word Wednesdays #IWW – 6.20.12
“We know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.
And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts
through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”
Having Patience When Plans Fail
One of the first rules of planning is that plans change. Operating in a state of hope, though, can
involve a heavy reliance on plans. Upon the commencement of new employment opportunities
we set our gaze upon vocational goals and work to advance. When we’re preparing to embark
on a new educational journey, we draft outlines of books we want to read, courses we want to
take, and connections with professors we want to initiate. In relationships, especially when they
get serious, we can become consumed by life and family arrangements. But what happens when
things fall through? How does faith exist in the same place where we understand that everything
does not always go according to plan?
Sometimes we are so hopeful and excited about the potential for things to come to fruition that
when they don’t, our hopes are dashed. Our faith is tested and our excitement crumbles. Stifling
our energy, the collapse of strategies and projects can cause us to question our purpose yet
again. We can become so attached to our expected outcome, that when things don’t go the way
we planned we’re tempted to give up and maybe try something else. This is where patience is
required. Patience allows us to endure suffering and persevere. Faithful patience directs us to
envision success even while we anticipate bumps along the road.
Before we can have patience, though, we must include God in our plans. The key here is
submission. I encourage us to prayerfully align our intention with God’s loving and gracious will.
Prayer, in this way, is not a wish. It is a declaration of submission to God for our goals to be in
line with His will and purpose for our lives. And even after we may be in line with God’s will
for our lives, we should expect some plans to falter. Deterrents are inevitable. But I pray that
discouragement doesn’t completely dismantle our dreams. Patience enables us to hold on to our
ambition after it has been rocked by hardship. After our plans fall through, we’ve got to use that
failure as a canvas for perseverance, composing wondrous illustrations of faith through God’s love,
which swallows our shortcomings. When it’s not going your way, keep going!
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