Goals and Habits … Is it God’s Will?

Over the month of December and early January, I’d been making personal goals and accomplishing them, and here’s what I’ve learned; It feels really good. It feels good to do things, and do them well. It’s empowering to feel strong, smart, talented, and organized. And for someone who’s love language is ‘words of affirmation’, having people affirm my efforts and tell me I’m wonderful makes my heart burst with joy!

However … is it really me?

Are my brains, my strength, my talents … are they really mine? Can I crush whatever goal I have simply because I’m determined and motivated? Does health mean everything? Is my body mine, to use however I want?

And I had to concede … the answer is no.

No, my brains and strength and talent is not mine – it’s YHVH’s, that He gave to me to use for His glory. No, my own determination and motivation only goes so far – it’s YHVH who breathes life and energy into me to enable me to work hard in life. And I can’t get anywhere on my own strength – It’s YHVH I need to lean on, trust in, to help me in distress and hard times.

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However, even though we know that we should take this step, how do we do it? How can we smack back our bad habits of trusting in ourselves, of making goals that take YHVH out of the picture? Habits are hard to break – especially bad ones.

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. But because my target is youth audiences, I’ll give you some things to think about …

• Are your goals focused on an end goal of being God-oriented, others-oriented, or self-oriented?
• Are you involving your parents, other family, and close friends in your dreams, goals, friendships, and the desires of your heart?
• Are you praying over all your struggles? (Emotional, physical, mental, spiritual, relational?)
• Are you working so hard at your goals that you don’t have time to do things you’re passionate about, or things that help others?
• Are you giving God the glory, if only just in the quiet of your own prayer time?

A habit isn’t broken by mental assent. You’ve got to discover something that resonates in your soul – something that means something to you. For me, my “soul resonating” comes when I’m trying to act in trust in YHVH’s Will for my life. I’m coming to the realization that YHVH’s plan is the only plan I want. Any other plan will fail to satisfy.

So please don’t expect a lifestyle switch to be easy. It isn’t.

But please DO expect it to mold you, and change you. Of course, if you’re afraid of change (like I am) this will be even harder for you.

But are you willing to change? To line up your goals with God’s Will for your life? To break the habits that detract from God’s Will? To trust God to give you the strength for the things He wants you to accomplish?

There’s only One Way to find out.

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I’d also like to add something that a friend told me …. Grace, over at Vibrant for Jesus. She said that we should always remember the MAIN goal, which is glorifying God. That made me think of this verse …

“I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Phillippians 3:14, NKJV

Paul had #goals too! His goal was the prize of Christ’s calling. What an amazing goal.