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Chapter 10
PLANNING
The Importance Of Planning
IF YOU HAVE EVER been unhappy with the past performance of your business, or believe that your business could grow faster, make more profit, or be more competitive, you have reason to plan. You cannot do anything about the past, and you may only have limited impact on the present. But with accurate planning you can influence the future.
Whatever your business, a well thought-out plan will put you ahead of the competition and could interest others in your venture. Time spent in planning now will save time and dollars later. Flaming is the systematic development of actions aimed at reaching business objectives. It involves analyzing, evaluating, and selecting opportunities.
Managerial Functions
Flaming is basically capturing the future in the present thus allowing the manager to do something about it now. Because business managers want to feel assured that their businesses are sound and secure, they must patiently do accurate planning so that their outlook toward the future turns into a confident and determined ”I can do it.”
The Bible has a lot to say about why we should plan. Here are four essentials to remember about planning:
Plans need to be committed to the Lord.
Proverbs 16:3 says, ”Commit to the Lord whatever you do and your plans will succeed.”
Plans lead to orderly lives that the Bible teaches that we should lead.
I Corinthians 14:40 says about the church, “But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.” God is a God of order. Therefore He not only expects things in the church to be done in an orderly fashion, but that our private and public lives need to demonstrate order.
Plans keep us from failure and embarrassment.
Luke 14:28-30 says, ”Suppose one if you wants to build a tower. Will he not sit down and estimate the cost of it to see if he has enough to complete it? For If he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying this fellow begin to build and was not able to finish.” You would never try to build a house without a blueprint. Therefore never try to build a business without planning. The Old Testament is full of stories of plans that God ordered completed: The temple, the ark, the building of the wall, etc.
Plans need to be flexible.
Proverbs 16:9 says, ”In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.”
Here are six common steps to planning with some explanations of terms:
1) Pray — ask God for wisdom before you plan.
2) Establish long range objectives and short range goals to meet these objectives.
3) Establish the program to complete the goals.
4) Schedule the process for completing the goals.
5) Determine the resources necessary to accomplish the plan.
6) Identify procedures and guidelines for operation.
Long Range Objectives – Long range objectives are simply identifying the end results that you sense God wants to accomplish with the business.
Short Range Goals – The short range goals tell how you will get to the long range objectives. They are more specific, measurable, and time bounded.
Activities to Achieve the Goals – The activities show what needs to be done to accomplish the goals. You will want to set priorities on what needs to be done. Ask for God’s blessings on your work, but don’t ask Him to do it.
Planning and Guidance
Guidance is available from a number of sources: from God, from parents, and from wise counselors and friends. Solomon sought the guidance from God and counsel from others on many occasions; it is from him that many principles of wise decision making derive.
After interpreting Pharaoh’s dream, Joseph gave the king a survival plan for the next 14 years. The only way to prevent starvation was through careful planning: without a “famine plan” Egypt would have turned from might to ruin. Good business management recognizes that planning is a responsibility, not an option. Joseph was able to save a nation by translating God’s plan for Egypt into practical action (implementation). You too, must take time to translate God’s plan for you into practical action.
Divine guidance is available to those who trust God to provide it, and who expect it to accompany wise planning. In addition to His Word, God guides through circumstances and the inner perceptions of the heart. For the godly, wise person this guidance is reliable; ”fools” fail to receive or perceive it.
Counselors and friends may provide guidance, but wisdom and counsel must be mutual partners, therefore multiple counselors provide a measure of safety. Friendly counsel brings delight to the heart, but the more valuable counsel may need to be drawn from the deep wells of thoughtful reserve. On the other hand, any counsel against God is powerless and doomed to failure. Wise people therefore seek sound, godly guidance before making plans and decisions.
Plans are a necessary part of the wise person’s life; only fools follow the path of fateful chance. Solomon advised that plans should follow the priority of ”work before comfort” and should be made only after seeking counsel and guidance from God and others. ”Fools” plan wickedness, but these plans are hated and condemned by the general public because they bring only harm to everyone involved. The plans of the wise, incorporating righteous principles, are widely beneficial.
In addition to guidance, priorities are important to successful planning. Wisdom and work should be at the top of the priority list. The next priority involves choosing the best quality over that which is merely good. Solomon lists a number of these types of priorities:
a) righteousness is preferable to ritual or riches;
b) reputation and honesty to riches;
c) love and quietness to luxury;
d) loneliness to contention;
e) humility to self-honor;
f) self-control to power;
g) rebuke to flattery or concealed love.
In any case, proper priorities require right thinking. Several times Solomon commended right thinking, and warned that wicked thinking is hated. The wise must avoid wicked thinking, and instead should base their plans on righteous priorities, wise counsel, and guidance. The number one element in planning is to first learn what these guidelines are:
Guideline #1 : Put God First
The first guideline in planning is to put God first. God said He would in struct us and teach us in all of His ways. The prerequisite, in every instance where that promise was made, was a willingness to put God first. Goals we set should benefit people rather than focus on accumulation of things or possessions. Luke 12:15-21, states this principle:
”Then He said to them, ’Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.’ And He told them this parable: ’The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ Then he said, ‘This is what I’11 do. I will tear down my lbarns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.’ And I’11 say to myself, ‘You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink, be merry.’ But God said to him, ’You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.”
In the area of money, the bottom line involves a simple decision. You must decide either that you trust God and are willing to obey His Word, or not. To do this, you must understand God’s principles.
”If only you fully obey the LORD your God and are careful to follow all these commands I am giving you today. For the LORD your God will bless you as he has promised, and you will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. You will rule over many nations but none will rule over you” (DEUTERONOMY 1525—6).
Guideline #2: Include Goals for Your Personal & Family Life
The second guideline is to include goals for your personal and family life in your planning. Determine godly long-range goals, including the ultimate size of your business, with your personal and family goals also in mind. Do not fall into the trap of thinking ”bigger is better.” Some successful and revolutionary ideas are being expressed in the marketplace today that smaller is more beautiful, back-to-basics is better, and short-term expediencies make bad long-term solutions.
Every Christian faces making long-range goals. Failure to plan long-range goals will precipitate short-range urgencies, with time running out. Goals to focus on here are:
A. How big do you desire your business to become?
Most businesses grow in response to current and urgent needs. Owners allow their businesses to get too big without incorporating the other goals, causing their personal lives to suffer. Some find out too late that they have missed important goals in life by responding only to the urgent. According to Ecclesiastes 5:10, one who loves money will never be satisfied: ”Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless.”
B. What sort of lifestyle do you want?
God requires self-discipline on our part, in the area of materialism just as in morality. According to I Timothy 6:9-10 and Matthew 6:21, where and how we spend our time and money reflects our commitment and priorities.
”People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many grief’s” (I TIMOTHY 629-10).
Ecclesiastes 2:10-11 tells us that having the ”best” is not necessarily satisfying.
”I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.”
C. What are your goals for family participation in the business?
Are your children spiritually attuned to God’s plan and thoroughly trained? Is your spouse abreast of major decisions being made in your business? According to Ecclesiastes 2:18-19, it is important to train your heirs properly.
”I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me. And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the work into which I have poured my efifort and skill under the sun. This too is meaningless.”
Scripture seems to indicate that an heir should be an active participant in your business, according to Ecclesiastes 2:21.
”For a man may do his work with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then he must leave all he owns to someone who has not worked for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune.”
Guideline #3: Allow Sufficient Time
A third guideline in business planning is that you must allow sufficient time to do something properly. ”The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty” (PROVERBS 2125). It takes time to secure informed advice, and the wise course includes gathering counsel. It takes time to accumulate knowledge and gain understanding in any venture. And it takes time to foresee possible pitfalls. A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it (Proverbs 22:3).
Business owners need to be sure they know where they intend to go with their businesses and why. How will they know when they get there? Every Christian ought to read and reread the book of Ecclesiastes. Whatever you can accomplish, Solomon has already done it. He had wealth, wisdom, and,: worldly success, but when you look around himself, he realized none of it mattered.
Wealth is a very elusive thing. If that is your goal, you never will reach it because whatever you reach will never be enough. You somehow always need just a little bit more.
If you do not know where you were going, you do not need a plan to get there. You just get carried along in the tracks of the world. Whatever the world tells you is normal, you. The world’s norm, however, should not be the norm for Christians, nor his “normal” been a part of God‘s plan
As a Christian, you need to decide where you are going. In particular, if you are unsure of where you are in your businesses, you will have no handle for setting goals
For any strategic planning, the wise business person must know her business. Only by knowing it can she intelligently determine what she will not do, which is a very important, but often neglected, part of the planning process. When God is put first. personal goals are considered and time is invested. Then a business will rest on a well planned foundation, and day-by-day direction will be made much clearer.
A wise planner will know when to reinvest profits and will not jeopardize her business’ future for the sake of short-term returns. “Finish your outdoor work and get your fields ready; after that, build your house” (Proverbs 24:27).
Wisdom in business also means knowing the market, having foresight, and being industrious. That is the application of Proverbs’ version of the folk maxim, “ Make hay while the sun shines” (see Proverbs 6:6-8, 10:5). The wise will allow time to plan properly; make allowances for their personal and family goals; and most importantly, will subordinate their plan to God’s direction. ”In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps ” (PROVERBS 16:9). Therefore, “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed” (PROVERBS 16:3). Jesus Christ demands of the person who trusts Him the same reckless sporting that natural people exhibit. If a person wants to do something worthwhile, there will be times when she has to risk everything. In the spiritual realm Jesus Christ demands that you follow a path that may differ from what ordinary man considers common sense. Jesus Christ’s statements may seem radical and off-the-wall, but they must be brought into the realm of the faith. You are trust, eternally in God, and when he brings you to the “stepping off place,” see you that you take that step. In crisis situation as it is difficult to react in a Christlike manner. When you come to the end of the light which you have, you can be certain of one of two things: there will be something solid on which to stand, or God will teach you to fly. Every time you step out in faith, you will find something of common sense circumstances that you flatly contradicts your faith. But, common sense it not faith and faith is not common sense though their relationship is exhibited in the natural and the spiritual.
Planning For Success
Every building must have a blueprint, every automobile a design, and every business a course of action that it intends to follow. So why is it that some business people fail to plan? The answer is found in the nature of the human heart.
The Lord saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time (GENESIS 6:5).
Sin governs the course of our actions and leads us to disorder and destruction in our lives. People are made in the image of God and have the ability to design and create order out of disorder and destruction in our lives. People are made in the image of God and have the ability to design and create order out of a disorder, but their creative ability was severely corrupted at the point of Adam’s sin, and thus by nature they are unable restrain themselves. Planning requires discipline, effort, and self control. It means setting things in order, doing first things first and staying the course. By the very act of planning, one must say no to the desires of the flesh for instant gratification.
The Basis
It is from the desires of our hearts that our plans derive. The Bible teaches that plans begin in the heart so as to satisfy the desires of the heart. We plan so that we can have what we want. ”My days have passed, my plans are shattered, and so are the desires of my heart” (JOB 17:11). Plans that derive from a heart that is full of evil desires will never succeed in terms of the true measure of success, that is, eternal life. We must have a new heart, a heart that is a ”heart after God.” God says, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you. I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh” (EZEKIEL 36:26). The Bible teaches that Christians can walk in victory over sin because they have received from God by faith a new heart. A new heart is the only basis for true success in planning whether it is planning to build a house or planning to start a business.
The One Dimensional Pursuit Of Wealth
In all fairness, there are many business people who do develop plans for their business, follow those plans, and accomplish their objectives. The individual’s motive is the distinguishing factor between the world’s way and God’s way. The world teaches us that the measure of success is the accumulation of wealth. Business planning from the world’s perspective is one dimensional. That is, it is primarily concerned with money. Plans are maximize profits and minimize costs. Goals and objectives are set and their accomplishment is measured in monetary terms.
Yet, much harm has been done to people and to the earth in the name of the pursuit of profit. In Zambia, the forced relocation of thousands of Zambian men to work the copper mines by the colonial powers is an example of the injustice done in the name of profit. The destruction of great tracts of forest in Brazil, India and Indonesia is another example of the terrible results of the unrestrained pursuit of profit. Success achieved at the destruction of the earth and the lives of people is not success at all.
In the end there will be an accounting of every injustice that has been done in the name of profit. This harm is the result of sin. Sin resides in human hearts and can only be overcome through the evolutionary submission of the human heart to God and the receiving of God’s forgiveness through His Son Jesus Christ who died on the cross for the forgiveness of sin. Until one has taken this step of faith, sin will continue to rule and the heart will continue to pursue its selfish desires.
Three Dimensional Planning
The Financial Dimension
Planning for success in terms of its true measure, i.e., a relationship with God, must be done three dimensionally. There is always going to be the financial dimension. However, God has made it clear to us that we are to serve Him, not money. Thus we are stewards not owners of the financial resources in our possession. ”Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful” (1 CORINTHIANS 4:2). Planning for success requires that we faithfully charge our stewardship of God’s resources. It requires that we account for the use of these resources and that we use them wiser to His glory.
The People Dimension
The second dimension in planning for success is the people dimension. Planning must take into consideration the interests of others. “Do to others as you would have them do to you” (LUKE 6:31). There should be a degree of agreement from all who will be affected by your plans. Also, there needs to be input from others for plans to succeed. “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with with many advisers they succeed” (PROVERBS 15:22)
The Kingdom Dimension
The third dimension in planning for success is the Kingdom dimension. Jesus said, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (MATTHEW 6:33). The Kingdom of God is the rule of God in the hearts of His people. Jesus teaches that His people are to seek to advance that rule.
Planning for success is consistent with the will of God. “The plans of the righteous are just, but the advice of the wicked is deceitful” (PROVERBS 12:5). Planning for success also advances the Kingdom of God. “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (EPHESlANS 2:10).
Planning for success includes planning good works that God has already ordained for us to do. God has a specific purpose, works and mission for His people. What is His purpose for you in business? What are the good works He has prepared in advance for you to do? What is the mission He has called you to accomplish? These questions can be answered by the person who plans three dimensionally, who plans for true success. ”I, even I, have spoken, yes, I have called him. I will bring him, and he will succeed in his mission” (ISAIAH 48:15).
First Principles In Planning For Success
To plan for true success the business person must abide by three First Principles in planning:
1) Guard Your Heart and Grasp Not
First, the business person must guard their heart and grasp not. The Bible states, ”Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life (PROVERBS 4:23). Plans begin in the heart. They begin with the desires of the heart. What is most valuable to you? What is it that you treasure? What is most important to you? What is it that you desire? What have you set your heart on? These fundamental questions must be answered before you plan. Jesus said, ”For where your treasure is there your heart will be also (MATTHEW 6:21). So to plan we must first examine and then guard our hearts against the sin that so easily corrupts and leads astray. “Search me, O God, and know my heart. Test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting (PSALMS 138:23-24). Also, you must not be anxious and grasp after worldly things. Again, Jesus teaches us,
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not saw or reap, they have no storeroom or barn yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his lifee Since you cannot do this very little thing why do you worry about the rest? ’ Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you. 0 you of little faith! And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink. Do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well” (LUKE 12:22-31).
2) Plan by Principle not by Practice
Second, to plan successfully, you must plan by principle not by practice. That is, you must make your decisions by the principles and values that you hold to be true, not by whatever is expedient or practical for the moment. Principles are like railroad tracks, they take you places. Without principles to guide you, evil desires will rule your heart. “I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free” (PSALMS 119232). Thus when you plan you must follow the principles laid down in Scripture. ”But the noble man makes noble plans and by noble deeds he stands” (ISAIAH 32:8).
3) Pray then Plan, Plan then Pray
Third, to plan successfully, one must first pray then plan, and plan then pray. ”Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed (PROVERBS 16:3). “In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps” (PROVERBS 16:9). Remember the words of James “Now listen you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or to that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.’ Why you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say ‘If it is the Lord’s Will we live and do this or that” (JAMES 4:13-15). God is sovereign. He is the one who holds in His hand the success or failure of your plans. Thus you must commit to him in prayer your plans. As you do, His mind will be revealed to you and your plans will change to reflect His will. Then they will succeed because they are also His plans.
A Prayer For Planning
Acknowledge that God is sovereign.
“’For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways declares the LORD.’ As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (ISAIAH 55:8-9).
Acknowledge your need of wisdom.
“If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him” (JAMES 1:5).
Pray for wisdom to do what is right.
”So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong, for who is able to govern this great people of yours?” (I KINGS 3:9).
Commit to Him all the desires, thoughts, ideas and plans that you have.
”Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight” (PROVERBS 3:5-6).
Thank Him in advance for His blessing.
”May he give you the desires of your heart and make all your plans succeed (PSALMS 20:4).
Simple Ways to Develop a Plan
- Start with an examination of your heart and what is important to you, to others and to God.
- Set realistic objectives that are consistent with what is importent to you, to others and to God.
- Establish a realistic time frame for the achievement of your objectives.
- Frame your objectives in a measurable way so that after your time period you can evaluate whether or not you have reached those objectives.
Leave Room For God
As a worker for God, you have to learn to make room for him. You calculate and estimate, and say that this and that will happen, but forget to make room for God to come in as He chooses. Do not look for God to come in any particular way, but look for Him. That is the way to make room for Him. However much you may know God, the great lesson to learn is that at any minute He may break in. You are apt to overlook the element of surprise, yet God never works in any other way. All of a sudden God meets the life when it is His pleasure. Keep your life so constant in its contact with God that His surprising power may break out on the right hand or the left. Always be in a state of expectation, and see that you leave room for God to come in as He likes.
NEXT: Chapter 11: Quality Control
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Chapter 10: Planning
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Last Updated: 12/2022
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