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The beginning of the year is a time of personal and national reflection. Annual—and this year, decade—retrospectives fill the media. And when we’ve tasted that course, they serve up predictions for the New Year and the decade ahead. Individually we take a fleeting look back and then semi-seriously develop yet another set of resolutions for the year ahead.

This got me thinking about the questions people ask us at InsideWork. The recurring themes seem to cluster around a couple of good questions:

1. What does it look like to live, work, and run a business that honors God?
2. What do I do, practically speaking, to make this happen?

The first question makes me aware that people want to imitate something or someone. We want a pattern, a model that we can emulate. We want a clear vision of what this looks like, because if we can see it we can attain it. Sadly we seem to lack models.

The second question reminds me that we are business people, and that we appear to have a deep-seated drive to want formulas and to follow action steps. We keep saying, Skip the theory and tell me how to do this. We are impatient to get going and make it happen. We want to make a difference. We want to get it right. If we can just get the right picture in our heads and the right steps shown to us, we know we can do it.

And so maybe we head to the Bible to look for some answers and when we come across a passage like Jeremiah 29:11-13, we tend to read it this way:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Good, good, we think to ourselves, God’s got a plan for me, a great plan…prosperity, no harm, a hope and a future.

We read on. This is the good part. God tells us what we need to do to get all that he has just promised.

Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek My Plan and find My Plan when you seek My Plan with all your heart.

“Okay. Okay. We’re calling. We’re praying. We’re listening. We’re seeking Your Plan!”

But something’s wrong. We don’t see the plan. We don’t receive the plan. We don’t get it.

Perhaps we need to read the text more closely. Look at verse 12-13 as it is actually written:

Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

The state of the art in business thinking and personal development thinking tells us to begin with the end in mind, to be clear about our vision and goals first, and then build plans and capabilities for achieving them. Seek the vision, the plan first.

But these scriptures tell us to NOT seek the plan, the vision, the formula first, but to seek the Planner, the One who has a vision for our lives. Following Christ means that our lives are based on faith, trust…not in a business plan or playbook, but faith in Someone. We are following, trusting Someone, not something.

Maybe as we begin this year, rather than starting with our visions and plans, we ought to take some time to put first things first. Let’s take some time to renew our passion to seek him and to know him. Maybe in 2007 we’ll see that the plan comes together when we keep our eyes on the Planner.

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.