The Plan

A common Marine-ism is this: “If you fail to plan you might as well plan to fail.” And I believe this is just as true in our spiritual lives as it is in our physical lives. How many times have things gone poorly due to lack of planning? The discussion on this can go on and on, but the simple point I want to make is this: If you’re a believer, please have a plan, and share your plan as often as you revise it – which if you’re anything like me, will be often.

Right now, I’ve taken from two Davids to come up with my plan: my brother, and the King of Israel circa 1000 BC. It’s called “30 Mighty Men.” It’s based off the story of King David’s men of war (37 to be precise) who went into combat with him and did some pretty amazing stuff! My brother David shared the concept with me a couple years ago and it took till now for me to put it into practice. Hey, some things take time, right?

I also borrow from the Apostle Paul in his Silas and Timothy structure to break down my list of 30 men. I have a 10 man “Paul List”, a 10 man “Silas List”, and a 10 man “Timothy List”. These lists are ever evolving as the relationships change in my life, but the goal is to focus on those 30, and at the top of each 10, to focus on 3.

King Solomon, David’s son and the wisest man who ever lived, talked about a threefold cord not being quickly broken. Well, I think those “triad” relationships – as Greg Ogden calls them in “Transforming Discipleship” – those groups of 3 are the key to unlocking meaningful relationships.

Joe Ehrmann says in “Season of Life”: “The world defines masculinity as having athletic ability, sexual conquest, and financial success; but real men know how to build and maintain meaningful relationships.”

It is my goal – the essence of my plan – to build these relationships in order to see God’s Kingdom flow. Because as Coach Trent Detamore, missionary with Christian Sports Outreach International, said on our trip to Mexico in July of 2001: “The Kingdom of God flows through relationships.” And I believe that to be true!

So do like the Marines: plan early and plan often, and realize a 70% plan executed violently NOW is better than a 100% perfect plan executed anytime – mostly because you’ll never get 100% perfection here on earth!

Although there is One who will keep you in 100% perfect peace… and that sounds like a plan to me!