Every Wednesday I have lunch with a group of men at our church. The format is quite simple – I arrive about a half-hour early to fire up the grill and get the burgers cooking so that when the guys arrive at noon, the food is ready. We bless the food, sit down and eat, and also spend that time just talking to each other about whatever is going on in our lives. Then, when we’ve finished our meal, we dive into whatever book of the Bible that we are studying to have a discussion about how those words, written at least 2,000 years ago, apply to our lives today.
While the menu rarely changes (cheeseburgers are easy, and sometimes we add hotdogs or brats), the faces around the table sometimes change, and the verses to discuss always change. The one thing that does not change is that time, Wednesday at noon, when we know that we can get together in the comfort and safety of our group. Essentially, we have created a planned time and structure, with a general idea of what will happen. And in this environment, we have created a place where the unplanned can walk right in, taking the conversation in an entirely different direction.
Frankly, those are my favorite times, as it creates an opportunity for God to work in and through the lives of the men around the table. If all we did was stick to the regular script, the conversation would go wherever I wanted it to go, and while that might lead to greater understanding of the Bible (a worthy goal), it might cause us to miss an opportunity to minister to one of the men fellowshipping with us. Yes, it is important to renew our minds with God’s wisdom, but if we don’t then understand how to live our lives according to that wisdom, then what have we gained? By allowing real life situations to direct our discussions, we are given the opportunity to see how that godly wisdom can impact our decisions.
The point of all of this is to see that the unplanned and powerful situations can be addressed by having a planned opportunity to bring them up. Structure can create opportunities for the unstructured, if we are content with a plan that addresses a process while leaving room for the outcome. We have the time and the place and the forum, and what follows depends upon whether a burden has been placed on the heart of one of the guys in attendance. If not, we go on with the lesson as planned. But if yes, we allow God to do His thing, working through us to accomplish His purposes for our fellowship.
So, when you make your plans, be sure to leave room in the process for God to generate His desired outcome. If it turns out vastly different than what you had anticipated, take joy in knowing that God’s plans are always better and higher than your plans anyway.
Peace and blessings – Pastor Aaron