When Things Don't Go According to Plan

​We’ve all had those days.  The days when our best laid plans fall apart.  The times when nothing seems to go as we thought it would or should.  The weeks when life seems most chaotic, despite a perfectly thought out plan.  Do you know what I’m referring to?  Well, whether or not you’ve had days, weeks, or seasons like that, Paul experienced a situation when nothing seemed to go according to plan, and it caused deep hurt and disquiet among the Corinthians.  Let’s take a look at what that situation was and how Paul handled it.

“I wanted to visit you on my way to Macedonia, and to come back to you from Macedonia and have you send me on my way to Judea. Was I vacillating when I wanted to do this?  Do I make my plans according to the flesh, ready to say “Yes, yes” and “No, no” at the same time?  As surely as God is faithful, our word to you has not been Yes and No.”
~II Corinthians 16-18

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Paul was planning on swinging by Corinth for a visit while on his way to and from Macedonia, but plans changed.  He never ended up making the stop, and the Corinthians were put out by the fact that Paul never followed through with his promise.  But when we walk by the Spirit, God often changes our plans and that’s what happened for Paul.  And while he understood the Corinthians hurt, he promises them that he did not intentionally mean to change his plans.  However, life happens and things can change. 
 
So what can we learn from this story and sticky situation? 
 
When we walk by the Spirit, we have to be open to letting God rearrange our plans.  For we don’t always discern the Lord’s will correctly the first time, but God is gracious and will redirect our steps if He needs to.  So when things don’t go according to plan, look at it as God’s loving way of stepping in and readjusting your schedule. And if we are on the receiving end of a change of plans like the Corinthians were, remember that God is always in control and directs our paths sometimes by changing the plans of others. 
 
No matter what our situation or how drastically our plans change and get redirected, let us never forget the truth and promise that in Jesus Christ it is always Yes and Amen!

“For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you, Silvanus and Timothy and I, was not Yes and No, but in him it is always Yes. For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.”
~II Corinthians 1:19-20

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Author’s Note:  This post was supposed to be posted yesterday on our usual schedule, however things didn’t go according to plan.  Between a family day trip and a brief power outage, this post wasn’t quite ready for a Saturday, 5:30 am PST publication date.  Hence, the reason it’s a day late.  However, how fitting considering our topic.  Who knows?  Maybe someone needed this message today rather than yesterday?  So, dear readers, do not be afraid to walk each day by the Spirit and allow God to rearrange the schedule a bit and cause things to go slightly different than planned.  Who knows what God plans to do?!