When God created Adam, He gave him both a vision and a responsibility. The big vision was the Dominion Mandate. The more specific calling was to cultivate and guard the Garden. God also told Adam about the gold of Havilah, which was good and beautiful (that is how the Hebrew tov can be translated). Thus, Adam had a great vision, a particular responsibility, and a dream. The vision provides the general direction for man’s life. The specific responsibility to care for the Garden was a task related to everyday life, which we can call labor. The gold of Havilah was somewhere out there, waiting to be discovered and used. God told Adam about the gold because He wanted him to find it, but to do so, Adam needed to draft a plan and see it through.
First, Adam had to remember which river was the Pishon River – that was the path to gold. But then, he had no idea how far he’d have to follow the river to reach Havilah. That was a problem. Next, there was the issue of transportation: should he walk down the river or try to find a boat? But what’s a boat, anyway? Where could he find one, or how would he build one? The dream of gold, sparked by God’s pronouncement, gave way to problems that couldn’t be solved without a real passion for the good and the beautiful. Yet, it was the same dream that would also help him tackle the problems, form a plan, secure the resources, and find the gold.
Without planning, the gold of Havilah would have remained hidden forever, and the desire would have never been fulfilled. The dream would have been nothing but an empty fantasy. Adam had a goal, and then he had to find ways and means to accomplish it. Ends-ways-means is how Arthur F. Lykke Jr. defined strategy (“Defining Military Strategy,” in Military Review, Jan-Feb 1997): any strategic planning must include and define three key elements. If at least one of them is unclear or overlooked, the outcome will fail.
Unfortunately, we often overlook the importance of strategizing and planning. We have high hopes for the Kingdom to come, and we are busy with daily duties. However, we frequently neglect thinking about the next seven years, not to mention seventy. We tend to think either in terms of the immediate or the final: the immediate imposes itself on us, while the final serves as an escape from the tyranny of the immediate. And even when we think about the next seven years, we either fantasize or limit ourselves to prayer, which often amounts to the same thing. Planning seems to be incompatible with the Christian piety based on faith and hope. Patient waiting is what we might be willing to do, but planning gives an impression of trying to play God.
Nevertheless, the Book of Proverbs encourages us to make plans. In Proverbs 21:5, planning is promoted; it is hastiness, which is the opposite of planning, because it is a reckless pursuit of a goal, that is rebuked. Proverbs 19:2 connects haste with the lack of knowledge, which includes situational awareness. Proverbs 24:27 also addresses the need for planning and preparing for a particular goal. More than this, Proverbs 15:22 speaks about deliberative planning, calling in many advisors. We need to determine what we want to achieve, how to achieve it, and the resources needed. This is Lykke’s triangle: ends-ways-means. Of course, the Book of Proverbs also reminds us that “a man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps” (16:9, NKJV), and that “there are many plans in a man’s heart; nevertheless, the Lord’s counsel that will stand” (19:21). We must not be so haughty as to think that we can perfectly forge plans and execute them. Lykke’s triangle is good and useful, but it is not infallible. Not because of any intrinsic blemish, but because it cannot address all the elements and unknowns involved in making and executing plans.
For that reason, it is helpful to read Lykke in the light of On War by Carl von Clausewitz. Lykke’s triangle addresses only a part of Clausewitz’s triangle, which is: reason-chance-passion (C. von Clausewitz, On War, Princeton 1976, 1.1.28). The first aspect of this triangle is addressed by Lykke’s triangle. The well-known phrase that “war is merely the continuation of policy by other means” (1.1.24) highlights that strategy is a predetermined course of action towards a particular end. It needs to include deliberations about the ways and means necessary to achieve the end. The second aspect reminds us that the execution of any strategic plan will inevitably face the unpredictable nature of reality, which will require us to review and adapt. “War is the realm of chance,” says von Clausewitz (Chapter 3). And it is shrouded in fog created by the lack of reliable information, rapidly changing circumstances, and other factors. Therefore, von Clausewitz compares war to a game of cards (1.1.21). Finally, there is the passion element. Emotions are the driving force behind all actions; therefore, “if war is an act of force, the emotions cannot fail to be involved” (1.1.3).
According to Clausewitz, passion is the driving force behind war and any other course of action. Without it, there is no motivation to keep moving forward. If the desire is not strong enough, obstacles can easily derail the plan. The desire must be intense enough to see the plan through, no matter what gets in the way. But can passion also guide our actions? Some people doubt it. However, when we look at Jesus cleansing the Temple, where He quotes Psalm 69:9, saying, “Zeal for Your House has consumed me,” it is clear that His passion, or zeal, not only fueled but also directed His actions. Thus, passion does more than just motivate us – it also guides us. It either draws us toward something valuable or pushes us away from something disgusting.
One point made by von Clausewitz needs to be highlighted here: “The passions that are to be kindled in war must already be inherent in the people” (1.1.28). When a war comes or when a project is initiated, the appropriate passions must already be present, at least in the seed form. It is impossible to kindle them when there are no embers smoldering already. The initial passion must already exist before any action is taken or any plans are made, not as a raw, chaotic bundle of emotions, but as an ethos, which is a core cultural framework shaping people’s emotions: it determines how we perform the cost-benefit analysis. Thus, any strategic planning must start with forging a proper ethos: love for what is lovable and hate for what is abhorrent. It will be both the driving and guiding force behind any project or fight.
We can see how it works through the example of Nehemiah. First, his heart is deeply troubled by the news about Jerusalem because the Holy City is precious to him. His passion for the city is strong enough not only to sadden him but also to motivate him to action, even though he is fully aware that addressing the city’s problems will not be easy. He prays and stays alert, which allows him to seize the opportunity when King Artaxerxes asks about his sad face. Nehemiah secures the resources needed for rebuilding Jerusalem’s walls. After arriving in Jerusalem, he inspects the walls secretly to keep his plans hidden from the enemies. Once the plan is drafted, he speaks to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. His goal is to reignite their passion for the Holy City and their desire to rebuild its walls. His words find receptive ears. Nehemiah speaks again when new challenges arise, as enemies from both outside and inside try to obstruct the project. He understands that if people lose their spirit, their hearts break, and they give up hope, they will abandon their efforts and settle for less instead of pursuing meaningful change. Nehemiah counters all the psychological warfare Sanballat employs, which aims to mock Nehemiah, undermine his authority, and distract him from the task. Notably, this is Sanballat’s main strategy: to break the spirit of Jerusalem’s inhabitants, dampen their passion for the Holy City, and portray the project as impossible. Of course, passion must be paired with planning and lead to action. The true test of any passion is in its execution. Still, passion is essential for any planning process and even more crucial for carrying out the plan. It defines our goals, energizes our determination, and helps us stay focused.
The pursuit of any big vision or the defense of anything valuable requires more than just a naive wish for success, prosperity, and safety. It demands a strategy rooted in a strong ethos that provides energy and direction for passionate action. Without it, any planning or response to challenges is likely to fail. Nehemiah’s example illustrates that a strong spirit, deeply grounded in a healthy and vibrant ethos, is essential for both action and response. It fuels and guides our efforts, helping us make plans and face uncertainty and opposition. The Book of Proverbs reminds us that careful strategizing and planning are vital for success. But it must begin with developing an ethos capable of igniting the passion needed to plan and act without hesitation. Without this foundation, plans derail, dreams become fantasies, and we allow others to shape our future. Strategy, driven by passion rooted in a robust ethos, ensures that the good and beautiful gold of Havilah is uncovered through purposeful and persistent effort, rather than remaining hidden.
Bogumil Jarmulak received his PhD from Christian Theological Academy in Warsaw, Poland.