Planning Without Presumption
As we hang our new calendars, the beginning of the year naturally invites reflection and planning. Pastors feel the pressure to set goals doubly as they prepare sermon calendars, review budgets, and set personal resolutions. Jesus taught his disciples the importance of foresight in Luke 1:25-33. Planning feels faithful and responsible. And in many ways, it is.
Scripture never condemns wise preparation. In addition to Jesus, Solomon praised foresight (Eccl. 3:1). Thoughtfulness honors God. But somewhere between wisdom and control, planning can cross a boundary we should set for ourselves. Without realizing it, we can stop planning with God and start scheming around Him.
That distinction matters as we enter the new year. Believers should be vigilant to ensure their plans submit the future to God rather than trying to secure it themselves. Planning acknowledges our limits while scheming pretends we don’t have any.
“The heart of man plans his way,” Proverbs reminds us, “but the Lord establishes his steps” (Prov. 16:9 ESV). While Scripture does not rebuke planning, it certainly rebukes presumption. Jesus’ half-brother pushes the point further when he warned the church against confident declarations about tomorrow that never acknowledge God’s will (James 4:13-15). Our dilemma as we start looking ahead to the year to come will be found in leaving no room for God to interrupt our plans.
My personal temperament makes me a planner. I like timelines. I feel responsible when I know what comes next. Having a plan calms me with a sense of stewardship and intentionality. The Lord has been faithful to teach me an uncomfortable truth about my personality: I’m prone to putting limits on God.
Maybe you’re like me. We don’t sit down to say God couldn’t do something — we just planned as though He wouldn’t. We limit ourselves to the resources we think are available rather than trusting the divine abundance of our Heavenly Father. We plan toward outcomes that are manageable instead of obedience. We plan for what seems reasonable rather than for what requires faith.
Together, let’s make a resolution to avoid these mistakes this year. Rather than limiting ourselves to the bounds of our imagination, let’s trust the God who is able to do infinitely and abundantly more than we ever imagined. Let’s avoid mistaking control for trust.
This tension presses on my heart as I prepare to transition toward missionary service in France. At this stage, the unknowns far outweigh the knowns. Timelines remain somewhat fluid. Support must be raised. Ministry doors have not yet fully opened. Some days, clarity feels scarce, and yet, peace has unwaveringly remained.
I haven’t found the passage in the Bible that promises us a detailed map of the future. I have found a promise of a faithful guide who walks with me, though. Abraham obeyed without knowing where he was going. Israel followed God into the wilderness with no blueprint. The early church sent out missionaries with only the Spirit’s direction (Acts 13:2-3). Faith, in Scripture, almost always begins where certainty ends.
We often treat the unknown as a problem to solve instead of an invitation to trust. But uncertainty does not signal irresponsibility. When outcomes remain unclear, prayer deepens. When plans stay flexible, obedience sharpens. When control loosens, faith strengthens.
For the sake of clarity, what I’m writing about does not excuse carelessness. Biblical faith never despises wisdom. We just have to be careful, as we lay out our plans, not to confuse wisdom with self-reliance.
As pastors and churches step into the new year, the question is not whether we will plan — we must. The question is whether we will plan in submission to God or scheme for security.
Planning is only faithful when it remains surrendered. Our plans should bend easily under God’s hand. We should remain open and sensitive to redirection, interruption, and surprise. Planning becomes dangerous when it hardens into certainty and crowds out dependence.
The Psalmist urges us to “Commit your ways to the Lord, trust in Him and He will act”(Psalm 37:5). Note the order — commitment comes first, trust follows, and God handles the rest.
As we plan for the year ahead, may we do so with bold humility and thoughtful prayer. Planning, after all, is not about mastering the future; it is about walking faithfully into it, one obedient step at a time.