Why Do Some Plans Fail?

Why Some Plans Fail

"The plans of the diligent and thoughtful, of those who steadily ponder the best way, leads to an advantage that results in plenteousness, but everyone who is impatient and hasty ends in want." (Prov. 21:5)

"The prudent man sees the evil and hides himself, but the simple pass on and are punished with suffering." (Prov. 22:3)

As a result of repeated failure many people become frustrated, bitter, angry and complain about nearly everything. It is easy to spot these critical, cynical people who are contemptuous of others, especially authority. They often exhibit are care less attitude and they become suspicious of everyone living in fear most of the time. It is little wonder that people who experience hurt become combative, conniving and chagrined. May the Lord use the following to help turn these people from their crisis to Christ and His solutions for failure, loss and a perpetual feeling of depression.

"Wisdom has built her house, she has hewn out and set up her seven pillars." (Prov. 9:1)

God’s plans are always perfect, but because He works through imperfect instruments [people], plans sometimes fail.

Attitude Problems Towards Planning: These are evident in the following comments:

-"We have always done it that way."

-"We do not like to plan."

-"Planning is not Scriptural".

-"This has worked all right for the last 40 years."

-"Planning is not spiritual."

-"We move forward in faith; we do not need to plan."

-"We do not have time to plan."

-"I do not see why we should change after all this time."

When ministries and plans reach the murmuring stage, the problem must be dealt with or the plan can be seriously affected.

Nehemiah dealt with the murmuring by prayer and better organization (Nehemiah 5).

For example:

-The garden of Eden was God’s plan for man. But man failed.

-God’s plan for Israel was that they bear witness of Him to heathen nations, but they failed.

-God’s plan for King Saul, Samson, and others failed because they were imperfect human instruments.

Failure of plans is always because of man’s unwillingness to work in harmony with God.

The same pattern is found in the book of Nehemiah:

-Nehemiah l:God chose a man.

-Nehemiah l-2:He gave the man a ministry.

-Nehemiah 2-3:The work force multiplied.

-Nehemiah 2-4:The plan was instituted.

-Nehemiah 5:Murmuring arose from the people.

Illustration: What Is My Purpose?

One thing I do, . . . I press toward the goal. --Philippians 3:13-14

We fulfill our purpose when we serve our Creator. (our Daily Bread)

Here are some common reasons why plans fail:

1. Lack Of Vision: People did not understand the purpose or vision of which the plan was a part.

Illustration from Bill Bright (Founder of Campus Crusade for Christ)

Fear Of Failure

God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline (2 Timothy 1:7, NLT). 9$% of Christians never lead another to Christ because of fear and lack of knowledge of the gospel.

Living the Christian life and walking in the Spirit will take you out of your natural comfort zone, but put you into a supernatural comfort zone!

Jesus, and later the apostles, are our examples. Their message of the cross was radical and their opposition was great. But they did not fear failure and were at peace, because God and truth were on their side. Even martyrdom did not stop them.

Some Christians are so afraid of failure that they become reserved, overly cautions, and uninvolved in life. They follow a policy of guarded living, holding back time, talents, and treasure from God’s service. Their motto is: To keep from failing -- don’t try! We must not be this way.

On the other hand, those who are willing to make mistakes and risk failure are the ones who ultimately achieve great things. Instead of being filled with fear, they go forward in faith. Problems are challenges. While they may not all be solved, these courageous people would rather live with that reality than have a clean record of no failures and no accomplishments.

Benjamin Franklin once said, "The man who does things makes many mistakes, but he never makes the biggest mistake of all -- doing nothing."

Thomas Edison did not meet all his goals, but it is said that he saw every failure as a success. The story goes that he failed 10,000 times in his storage battery experiments. But Edison said, "Why, I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work."

2. Lack Of Training: People were not trained for the task they were asked to do as part of the plan. God always prepares people for the task they are to do. Leaders should follow this example.

3. Improper Use Of Spiritual Gifts: People were misplaced in the plan. For example, you had someone with the gift of evangelizing trying to do the work of a pastor.