Let’s be honest. When we blow it, we are often hardest on ourselves. We are our worst critic, feeling terrible for what may have happened or for something that did not turn out the way we had intended.
Doubting ourselves, we begin to question what we could have done differently. Sometimes we even know what we should have done, but for some reason or another, we just didn’t do it.
The Apostle Paul articulates this well:
“I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.”
Romans 7:19 NLT
No don’t get me wrong. I know we have a sinful nature and we definitely need God’s empowerment to do the right things. It is in God’s saving grace through faith in Christ that we have eternal life.
But when it comes to saving ourselves from ourselves, we would be amiss to not recognize that . . .
Sometimes things don’t work out the way we would have wanted because our plan was faulty in the first place.
Executing a faulty plan can be a huge waste of time and expenditure of energy. There are times when we have to try something out to see if it works or not. But usually that’s part of the learning process—the discovery phase when we’re gathering data to make an informed decision about going forward.
What I’m seeking to address here is the kind of plan that was faulty from the start because we just weren’t being honest with ourselves.
When we are not honest with ourselves about where we’re at, and how we feel about where we’re at, it becomes that much more difficult to determine where we can actually go.
Before COVID, what would you do if you had to go to a shopping mall you’ve never been in before, to get something from a specific store in which you have no idea where it’s located? You probably would look for the mall map, and more specifically, the words on that map that say, “YOU ARE HERE.”
In essence, you’re needing an honest answer to know where you’re starting point is in order to get to your intended destination.
Without the insight that comes from being honest about where you’re at in a mall you’ve never been in before, you’re probably going to be executing a plan looking for a store that is going to cost you more time and energy than you care to spend.
Even worse, is when the excursion didn’t turn out the way you would have wanted, and now you’re beating yourself up because you should have known better.
The best plans to execute are the ones that come to light as we are being honest before God, honest with ourselves, and honest with others.
We plant the seeds for confusion, for a “not so clear” vision of what could be, when we avoid honesty. Common sense often goes out the window.
We start to dream with a faulty perspective of what’s true, and as a result we start taking steps to fulfill a second rate plan that leads to second rate results, or far worse, results we never intended. Shaking our heads, we find ourselves again saying, “I should have known better.”
Honesty is not our enemy, but our ally. Someone we need to befriend. Someone who points out the obvious to us, when the obvious is the right thing to do.
”For the LORD grants wisdom! From His mouth come knowledge and understanding. He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest. He is a shield to those who walk with integrity.”
Proverbs 2:6-7 NLT
It is through honesty that God imparts a treasure trove of wisdom and common sense. It’s a life of honesty and integrity before God that not only helps us to make our plans an outward expression of His plans, but to also give us greater confidence that the results will be as God intended.
Even more so, you’ll feel better about yourself regardless of the results. Why? Because your approach in being honest with God, honest with yourself, and honest with others in the planning process was not faulty, but done with integrity in that you were being true to yourself.
With Christ, you can’t go wrong. For in Him, you have access to a divine wisdom and discernment, strength and supply, the world cannot even come close to matching.
Here’s a SIMPLE TIP:
Be honest with God, with yourself, and with others.
When you practice this kind of heartfelt honesty before God, yourself, and others, God will give you a treasure trove of common sense and divine insight to execute the best plan for your life going forward. It will put you in a better frame of mind and heart for your plans to be an expression of His perfect plan for your life!!
“Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength.”
1 Corinthians 1:24b-25 NLT
Article Postscript:
If you feel led, encourage someone else by sharing this article, or perhaps another article that was an encouragement to you. This one action could be a real game-changer in their life. With God, all things are possible!!