“Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord Wills, we shall live and do this or that,’” James 4:15.

Have you developed your plan for this year? What is your approach to planning? Imagine that you are about to invest in a business and you hear the business plan presentation which begins with if the Lord wills we will do such and such…?

Unfortunately as scriptural as this sounds, most of us will have reservations and doubt about the business because we will interpret that the presenter is uncertain about the future and possibly wants to use God as a copout. Yet this is the very approach that James suggests we use in planning our businesses.

In James 4:13-16, James contrasts the world’s approach to planning with the kingdom approach. James suggests that the world’s approach has the following characteristics:

1. Certainty of the future

2. Pride

3. Self-centeredness

While the kingdom approach should have the following characteristics:

1. Recognition of our limitations

2. Humility

3. Centered on God’s will

What does “if the Lord wills” mean? It means “should God permit or allow”. It is recognizing that no matter what our plans are, they are subject to God’s ultimate purpose. It suggests that we are seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33), and as stated in the Lord’s Prayer, we are inviting God’s will into the situation (Matthew 6:10).

What are your plans for this year? Have you considered God’s will for your life and your business? God’s will protects you, provides for you and keeps you safe. No matter your circumstances or the economy, the safest place to be is in the will of God. In the will of God there is provision, protection and safety. In the will of God we find peace in the midst of turmoil, in the will of God we find safety in the midst of uncertainty, in the will of God we find favor.

Whatever your plans are this year, make sure they keep you in the will of God. How do you find the will of God? Use the following guidelines to help you:

1. Pray and fast.

2. Study His word and look for guidelines and patterns within His word.

3. Reflect on your past experiences with God as a guide to where He is taking you.

4. Seek the council of others who are trustworthy and God-fearing.

5. Make sure you have peace about the direction you sense God is leading you in.

God’s will is easy to find when we are willing to lay down our personal agendas. God’s will usually moves us toward an uncomfortable direction but one that will have the most spiritual and natural impact in the lives of others. God’s

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