Just stay with the plan

1 Peter 1:20 (NKJV) He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.

How could Jesus willingly allow himself to be tortured and executed? Because that was a part of the plan.

Now here’s the important thing—suffering almost always comes with a plan. If your plans do not include blood, sweat, and tears then your plans are probably not akin to God’s plans for you.

To achieve anything of value will require you to sacrifice and be sacrificed. Great things do not happen without great exertion and effort and, most often, great suffering and sacrifice.  These things come with the plan.

So my admonishment to you today is to stay with the plan.

Remember the plan when you first went off to school? It was to get your degree.  Now you know that this requires hitting the books (not hitting on the girls or hitting a ball)—stay with the plan.

Remember the plan when you first got married? The plan was till death do you part.  Now you know that the plan includes both better and worse—stay with the plan.

Remember the plan when you first held your child in your arms?  The plan was to raise them up to love God with all their hearts.  Now you’ve discovered the terrable twoes, or worse yet, the terrible teenage years–stay with the plan (who said love was supposed to be easy).

Remember the plan when you first started that job? It was to make something out of yourself and earn a good living for your family.  Now you know the plan includes problems, doing tasks you don’t like, and dealing with people that are difficult—stay with the plan.

Remember the plan when you first started going to your church? It was to be blessed and to be a blessing.  Now you know that your church includes people that really, really need a savior!  Stay with the plan.

Most people choose comfort over conflict every time—but that is seldom a part of the plan. The plan will usually require suffering and sacrifice—but stay with the plan anyway.

• The ONE THING: You have two choices; you can look for an escape or you can look for a solution. The plan requires looking for the solution.

“Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.” _Francis of Assisi