Thursday: Remain Teachable When the Plan Changes

By SeeMyChurch Editorial · Wednesday, 14 October 2026 · 3 min read

A changed plan can feel like an accusation. We may hear it as proof that our earlier effort was wasted or that someone else knew better all along. That reaction can make it difficult to notice the information the new situation is giving us.

Pastor Poju Oyemade’s Setbacks and the Doorway to Mercy includes stories of people whose journeys took unexpected turns. This original reflection develops one practical theme: a difficult change can become a moment to learn without requiring us to call every setback a blessing.

Separate the goal from the first route

Read Proverbs 19:20–21. The passage encourages attention to counsel and recognises the limits of our plans. A meaningful goal may remain while the first route towards it needs revision.

Write what you were trying to accomplish. Then describe the route you expected to use. Are they the same thing? Sometimes we become so attached to one method that we cannot recognise another way to serve the original purpose.

For example, a particular role may close while the skill you wanted to develop remains valuable. A project may need a smaller beginning. A delayed timeline may create space to prepare more carefully. These are possibilities to examine, not promises to force onto every loss.

Ask what the change reveals

List what you have learned from the setback. You may now understand a requirement, a limitation or a gap in preparation. Avoid adding blame that the evidence does not support.

Seek feedback where it is available and appropriate. Ask a clear question about what could improve. A useful answer may be uncomfortable, but discomfort alone does not make it untrue.

Also recognise the limits of feedback. One person’s preference is not a complete verdict on your future. Consider the source, the evidence and whether the advice fits your responsibilities and values.

Test an adjustment

Choose a small change that responds to what you learned. You might revise a proposal, practise a skill or ask for a different kind of support. A limited experiment can provide information before you make a larger commitment.

Decide what would count as useful evidence. Without that, you may interpret every result according to the mood of the day. A clear question helps the experiment teach you something.

Keep the adjustment proportionate. A setback does not always require abandoning everything or beginning again from nothing. Sometimes a careful revision is enough.

Let humility protect your effort

Being teachable does not mean agreeing with every criticism. It means remaining willing to examine what may be true. You can reject an unfair conclusion while accepting a useful observation within it.

Likewise, changing your mind is not necessarily a sign that the earlier effort had no value. Preparation, relationships and experience may continue to serve you in a different form.

Discuss the revised plan with anyone who shares the responsibility. A change that affects others deserves communication. Their perspective may reveal a practical concern you have missed.

At the end of the day, record one thing you understand more clearly than before. Learning can be quiet. It may not feel like a breakthrough, but it can improve the quality of the next decision.

Bring the unfinished plan before God with openness. Ask for wisdom to recognise what should continue, what should change and what may need to end. You do not have to force all three answers immediately.

Reflect: What can I learn here without turning the setback into a verdict on my worth?

Prayer: Lord, keep me teachable when plans change. Help me receive sound counsel, revise wisely and carry forward what remains useful with humility and courage. Amen.