That should be the manner of life for all of us. It is a great principle here. Do you have plans? Do you have aims? Life is so complex today. This is an information age. Information is hurled at us non-stop. Everything is made complex. Years ago, life was much simpler. You used your common sense much more. Now there’s legislation; now there’s health and safety, and everything has become much more complicated. So, the tendency is for us to be bundled along by life. When did you last make a plan about who you would be witnessing to, which colleagues, which family members, which people or friends, associates, you would have a special burden for in prayer in a ministry of intercession taking opportunity for witness? Oh I don't think like that, you say. I've got my work cut out, my burden is overfull just answering all the responsibilities and demands made upon me in life. That is a great shame. If we could find time to form some plans, what a difference it would make to us. Of course, they cannot always be fixed. Attached to all of them is, ‘If the Lord permit.’ This will be my focus for witness. What will be my chief avenue of Christian service in the months, in the year before me? What will I prioritise if the Lord permit? But I didn't think about it, and because I didn't think about it last year, I didn't do anything significant for the Lord last year. I didn't mount much witness toward anyone. I need a plan.
What is my besetting sin? What is it that I lose control of, or do not watch? What is it that suddenly erupts or takes place in life? Have I got a plan to curb this, to watch myself, to take steps to avoid the temptation? There are all sorts of areas in the Christian life in which you need to plan. Some are lonely. Have I planned to get alongside anybody, to talk to this one, to that one? Have I got an aim? The apostle Paul had aims. He could lay them out. This is what I hope to do, if the Lord permit; this is what I'm aiming at. Then you submit it to the Lord in prayer. Lord, show me, enable me. We need to plan things in life, to have aims and objectives and targets. I am going to try to do this, this week, next week. They can't be absolutely hard and fast. You'll be deflected one way and another, but how it enriches us. You might think this is entirely practical, but here we glean principles for Christian conduct.