Plan or planner?  Which is where you have placed your focus?  What is this man talking about, you say?  Glad you asked...

READ:  2 Timothy 1:9

Plan - God's.
Planner - God.

Where in there does it mention us?  It says GOD saved us, that GOD called us; it says HE did it, not because we deserved it; it says HIS (i.e. God's) plan.  GOD in big letters (figuratively, of course), 'us' in little letters.  So the focus is on... yes, you guessed it... God!

God had a plan from before the beginning of time - to show Himself to us through His Son Jesus.  GOD sent Jesus to earth, to live among us, to teach us about God.  God wanted to show His character - His grace - to us, and what better way to do this than to show us through Jesus.  Oh, we (people on this earth) balked at the idea of who Jesus is (Saviour), and we tried to do things our own way and - all too often - still do try to do things our way (yea, how's that working?!?).  But there's always THE PLAN lurking in the background, so to speak.  God's plan.  His way, not ours.  "It's all about you, Jesus... it's not about me", as we sing in the chorus. 

'Cause in the end, what we wanted or want, if not aligned with God's plan, won't matter.  Didn't matter.  Doesn't matter.  Won't matter.  We will try... and we will perhaps succeed - for awhile - but if it isn't what God wants to happen, it won't work.  Been there, done that, bought a couple of t-shirts, all to no avail.  You see, it's God's plan to show who He is to us, and God chose to do that by giving us Jesus as the example of who God is - and so God pretty much expects us to be that way too. 

Are you?
Are we?

Better question:

Will you?
Will we?

'Cause ultimately, GOD saved us and GOD called us to live a holy life - Paul wrote this to Timothy, and to us.  So the question hangs there, waiting for us to answer it, to understand it, to recognize it, to live it. 

Plan - God's.
Planner - God.

If you've been too focused on the plan (us) and not on the planner (God), then perhaps it's time to change that focus... okay, not 'perhaps it's time', but "hey you, it's time, dontcha think!  Hello!"  You see, it's that important.  God and God alone - not just lyrics of a song, but a mantra for us all.  It's all about Him, so that ought to be our focus - HIM.  GOD.  The PLANNER.

Where's your focus?

PRAYER
God, help me to keep my focus on you, the planner. 
Amen.