Question: What does the bible have to say about planning for the future. Is this a lack of faith?

Answered by: Trudy VanderVeen, who has been a volunteer with us since December, 2007.

Answer: First of all, the Bible says that we are not to WORRY about the future. “Don’t worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food, drink and clothes . . . Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs and he will give you all you need from day to day if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern (Matthew 6:25 & 31, New Living Translation).

But the Bible does not tell us that we should not PLAN for the future. Our plans, however, should always be subject to God’s will.

The apostle James, who was the Lord’s half-brother, gives us the best advice for making plans. He says, “Look here, you people who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we’re going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.’ How do you know what will happen tomorrow? For your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, ‘If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.’ Otherwise you will be boasting about your own plans, and all such boasting is evil” (James 4:13-16, NLT, emphasis added).

I do not believe that planning is a lack of faith. The Bible tells us that King David made plans to build the temple. God did not allow him to carry out those plans, because he had killed so many people in war, but David went ahead and gathered the material and made the preparations and later God allowed his son Solomon to build a beautiful temple. The apostle Paul made plans to visit the believers in Rome but was prevented until late in his missionary journeys. (See Romans 1:13.) These are trustworthy examples of people who planned.

Making these plans was not a lack of faith on their part, but they had to trust that their plans had to be approved and brought to fruition by God. God would be the one to bring their plans to fulfillment if it was his will.

Planning for the future is a wise thing to do in order to keep our lives going forward in a positive way. Time and energy may be wasted if one simply sits and waits for the future to happen. One should prayerfully set goals that are God-honoring and then make plans to achieve that goal.

There are times when a decision or plan must be made quickly. In these cases, I believe I may go ahead and do what seems to be the best thing, while asking the Lord to stop me if I am doing the wrong thing. A verse in Isaiah gives me comfort: “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it'” (Isaiah 30:21). In other words, the confirmation may come behind me (after my plans are made).

I hope and pray that these suggestions may be helpful to you. God bless you as you make plans for the New Year!