Family Planning... God's Way by Kristie M Ledford
All a man’s ways seem right to him, but the Lord weighs the heart. Pr 21:2
All a man’s ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the Lord. Pr 16:2
Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. Pr 19:21
Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. Pr 16:3
In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps. Pr 16:9
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Pr 3:5
I am turning 37 years old the 24th of this month and I have made lots of plans during my lifetime. Some plans ended up being good intentions which never manifested. Other plans were thought, developed, executed and specific results were attained. Most of my plans during this lifetime did not include God nor did they have his stamp of approval. After my conversion in 2001 I thought all my plans were God centered and what He wanted. I was very wrong. Please don’t read what I am not saying…planning is a good thing but, we must know where our plans come from and who our plans are truly for.
You see, I had great plans to do great works for God. Yes, I wanted to be a missionary, a writer, a public speaker, save the entertainment industry which is going to hell in a hand basket, save every orphan, every lost soul…..I wanted to be a great “doer” for God. I even thought my heart was in the right place. My plans had me at the center and my family, which is my little girl, on the backburner. I paid a very high price for this and so did my little girl. While I was making my plans work….my little girl was growing. I missed so many precious moments with this little girl. I missed time that will never come back our way again. I missed moments in our history to love and make memories with my little girl which will last a lifetime.
For all you parents out there, I can tell you that our mission field starts at home. Whatever God’s purpose, plan and mission for your life is….they start at home. No one can take the place nor have the influence like a godly daddy or mommy can. All throughout the Bible we see God desiring for His children to teach their children so they will grow to become God’s children too. This is my life verse and mission: Hear O’ Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” Dt 6:4-9
I was so busy wanting to do great things for God in order to further Christ’s kingdom that I missed what God truly wanted me to do….what God commanded me to do. I think of King David a man after God’s own heart. He failed miserably as a parent. Can you imagine the royal line of David if he had only led his family as he should? The impact for God on the generations thereafter would have been phenomenal.
I believe we are to serve the Lord and fulfill the great commission. However, we are not to neglect our first priority of family. The family is the first covenantal institution fashioned and ordained by God. We can serve the Lord as a family working together under God’s direction and blessing. I can change future generations by the way I influence my daughter. The impact I make as a Christian mother will be here long after I am in Heaven. Christian leaders come and go. One year you’re hot with a great book, the next year you are not. Some Christian leaders have sacrificed their lives and their family’s lives in order to be on the top. Please don’t misunderstand me….I am not trying to cast a negative light on anyone. I am so thankful for our Christian leaders who have listened and followed God’s calling. I have benefited from their teachings. We have lost souls saved everyday as a result of their efforts.
My point is this; make sure that your plans are God’s plans. God’s plans are not going to have us neglecting our families in order to fulfill His plans. God’s design for families; a daddy, mommy and children living together, praying together, learning about Him together, serving Him together, winning lost souls together….and staying together is always best. It is through the family that blessings come to us. Look at Ge 12:1-9 do you see how God worked through Abram’s entire family…not just Abram? Yes, Abram (later name changed to Abraham) was individually called, but the call included his family. The blessings would come through his offspring vs. 7 at which time, Abram had none.
The one area satan has been viciously attacking from day one in the garden of Eden; and has been quite successful in destroying is, guess what…THE FAMILY. I learned some very painful lessons in this area. I can say that God so graciously forgave me and He so lovingly disciplined me, so I wouldn’t make the same mistakes over and over. The family is a beautiful example of God’s relationship with us. The family is a source of unbelievable blessings but we must give God complete control of our families. I gave some scripture at the very beginning of this article which should be used in prayers for your family. The desires of our heart should always include our families. When we just see ourselves, then we are in grave danger of sidelining God’s will for us and for our families. I know for sure that God’s will and ways are always the best.