The Power of a Plan and Community – blog

If anyone in any area of life wants to have success in something they are going to do they will always have a plan.  Whether it is a sports competition, a battle in a war, a bank robbery, a romantic date with your spouse or getting something done at work, the better your plan the better the outcome.

In war, the side with the better plan usually wins the battle.  They evaluate the strength and position of the enemy, look for a weakness and attack based on the latest intelligence they have on hand.

It never ceases to amaze me that people who struggle with sexual brokenness and know they are in a battle do not have a plan.  They hope they will not be tempted.  They might ask for help from someone but usually, do not because of shame.  They pray and ask God to help them and off they go hoping for the best.

What if God spoke back to you and said; “I’ll help you but what are you going to do to help yourself? I’ve eternally forgiven you and saved you.  I’ve placed my Spirit within you and have given you a brain to think with.  I’ll do my part … but what are you going to do to not only face your enemies but do what you can to defeat them?  What is your plan?”

Later today I will be driving my wife to the airport and she is going to Washington DC to a teacher’s conference and to visit her cousin.  She will return on Saturday, so I will be facing about 5 days at home by myself.  To help avoid temptation I have developed my plan to stay pure.  I have already had some whispers of temptation of what I might do while she is away.  So, it would be utterly stupid of me to not think ahead and have a plan to maintain my sexual purity while she is away.

Here is my plan;

1. Absolutely no alcohol consumption while she is away. I have this boundary with some exceptions and only if I have permission from her or my leaders. However, I have already had thoughts of how nice it would be to get a good bottle of wine or single malt scotch, sit on my back porch and enjoy a drink and smoke a cigar. These thoughts are suggestions from the enemy to set me up for a fall.

2. Maintain my regular schedule of going to bed at the normal time and getting up early to have time with the Lord. I have learned that when I push the limits of my schedule like staying up late or sleeping in late I am more easily tempted. So, in bed by 11:00 pm and up at 7:00 am.

3. Only use my iPad in bed for reading eBooks. I have a good library online but have struggled in the past with my iPad for surfing the net which is skating on thin ice for me.

4. Go for a 30-minute walk every day. I need the exercise and it helps me feel better about myself and is good for my health.

5. Limit my time watching Netflix or Amazon Prime Video to 2 shows a day. Binge watching is a waste of time and can keep me from being productive.

6. Occupy my mind with worship music during downtime when I have nothing to do.

See how simple that is?  Now the next step is to share my plan with my wife, my leaders and well … over 2000 people.  And allow anyone to hold me accountable to my plan … which I will do next Monday.

Having a plan helps eliminate the times when I know I will be tempted with actions that I know will be helpful.  So what it your plan for today?

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *