It’s healthy and exciting to pursue goals and expectations for 2019; but let’s be honest, it’s almost socially required. Once you’ve wished people well, the next question or comment usually involves your plan to do things “new” or “differently” this year. Well, there is a way to ensure your efficacy regardless of what you set out for yourself.
How?
By examining your heart.
See, sometimes the things we set out to accomplish can be positive or even great for us; a healthy lifestyle, a career goal, a change in our temperament, an increase in our appreciation for God, etc. That’s not the issue. The imperative component is the “why” behind what you are pursuing. The “why” determines if the seed you are planting January 1, 2019 will produce good fruit in the next 364 days. The “why” is the soil in which that seed is planted. Make sure the soil is fertile ground for your seed.
How can you tell?
By examining your heart.
It’s more than just answering the “why”. It’s about answering the “why” truthfully. Here are some examples: I see people set goals to improve their health through diet and exercise not just because they desire a better level of functioning or a better body, but because they believe these changes will give them the self-esteem they don’t have. I see people pursue education or a career because they have skills in a particular area. But the true motivation is the belief they will finally feel worthy and fulfilled. I see people change their personality to have fewer conflicts or more peace at home, but they are driven to please someone else or get the attention/recognition they are so desperate to attain. Increasing your time with God may look good on the outside, but many times it’s done because subconsciously we are hoping our actions will help God “do” something for us. The truthful “why” can reveal, in advance, whether your goal will produce what you’re hoping it will produce. If your heart believes your goal will give you purpose, worth, attention, love, appreciation, recognition, value, or prestige, then whatever you pursue will fail or be short-lived.
How do I avoid this?
By focusing on what God designed you to pursue.
“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10
Spend time with God and design the goals you will pursue WITH Him. A by-product of spending time with Him is He will put the desires in your heart for you to pursue (Ps. 37:4). Now, those goals are not guaranteed to be easy, outlined in detail, or align perfectly with how your life is going right now. In fact, His goals for your life may require some significant sacrifices or a reconsideration of your life’s journey. But what we call sacrifice, God calls relationship with Him. His sole purpose is to have a deep relationship with you so that He can guide you in and through every single detail of your life. So yes, His goals may push the boundaries of your comfort zone, but they are promised to never fail. His goals will be in your favor, grow you in ways bigger than you can imagine, and to reveal how much He loves you–even more than you understand today. This, my friends, is the soil that is destined for transformational growth.
So let’s start 2019 with goals that are planted in the fertile soil of God’s “why” for us. This is how we ensure our heart’s purpose for these goals to align with His perfect will for our lives. Here is to a transformative year!