Tuesday, April 4, 2017

Listen…Plan
By Lexi Ellis

“Good friend, take to heart what I’m telling you; collect my counsels and guard them with your life. Tune your ears to the world of Wisdom; set your heart on a life of Understanding.”
Proverbs 2:1 (MSG, paraphrase)

Last year, I passed it every day on my way to work: suited women sitting in fancy chairs. And on this billboard, in large letters it reads, “Before we plan, we listen.” The billboard is for an investment company. From a marketing standpoint, it employs the powerful tactic of appealing to the innate desire to be listened to. Stephen Covey, in Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, addresses this art of truly listening rather than just hearing. (1)

Despite the humanistic and marketing draw, I realized this phrase is one applicable to my relationship with God. How often have I planned and forgotten that imperative first step of listening to God? How often I stress and schedule and skip being still, or asking the Holy Spirit for guidance, or reading His Word to allow Him to speak to me.

This is hard for me. I am a planner. I loved the planning part of my wedding; I jump on a chance to plan our vacations; I think and prepare for my students’ learning each day. I thrive on the planning. And I do work on truly listening to others. Yet, it’s so hard to listen first to God, then submit to His plan.

There are countless biblical examples of the essential “listen…then plan.” Scripture is filled with men and women who chose to stop, take time to pray, and listen to God’s direction before planning. And Scripture is equally filled with those who chose to go with their own self-sufficient planning, and we’re able to learn from the havoc and consequences that resulted.

The prophet Isaiah wrote, “The Lord God has given me the tongue of those who are taught, that I may know how to sustain with a word him who is weary. Morning by morning He awakens; He awakens my ear to hear…The Lord God has opened my ear.” (2)

God has an amazing plan when we choose to listen to His way before making our own plans. God has incredible things when He has our ear to hear. God does remarkable work in our lives and advances His Kingdom when we don’t jump straight to planning without first listening.

 “Before we plan, we listen.” May that be true of us today and every day.

GOING DEEPER:
1. What parts of your life do you need to surrender, lay in front of the Lord, and listen to Him before you continue planning?

FURTHER READING:

Lexi and her husband, Andrew, have an adorable dog named Calvin. Lexi teaches sixth grade Reading and Writing. She serves with Children’s Ministries and is the Fresh Start Coordinator.

(1) Stephen Covey’s chapter “Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, then be Understood” in The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. ©1989 Running Press.

(2) Isaiah 50:4-5 (ESV)