We have talked about goals already. I am sure you have heard about them over and over. Allow me to indulge you in a AHA-moment I had recently. I read on a blog I follow, a post titled 3 reasons why vision goals are inseparable and it got me asking - "Are my goals God-sized, can I accomplish them without God working with me?"
To give you a quick introduction:
- A vision is a mental picture of what you see your future holds. It has been said that your feet will never take you where your mind has never been. You first take the journey through your minds eye before you start walking.
- Goals are specific steps to help you attain the vision. They give you a sense of direction. You have to know where you are going (vision) to follow the right path (goals).
God gives us a vision, then He takes us through a process.
Our part to play is to hold on through the process. To let God shape us into who He desires of us. And to do that we have to set goals and work towards attaining them.
Success is what you attract by the person you become. Jim Rohn
Sometimes we let our own complacency, comfort-zones and negative attitudes get in the way of the vision God has given us.
Here are questions you need to ask:
- Have you set humanly impossible goals?
- Do your goals motivate you, do they excite you?
- Do they force you to ask, "What was I thinking?" after reading them?
Your goals have to be centered on God's limitless possibilities.
If your vision truly comes from God, then you have to align your goals with His working through you.
You can't risk wasting precious time on probability analysis of the goals.
Think of the vision as a cake and you only need two great ingredients that must work together :-
- Faith: This is the strong conviction that the vision is possible despite the circumstances, surroundings, dissenting voices - you will only succeed if your belief rises above seeming impossibilities.
- Deliberate action: Take specific deliberate action to follow through on your faith. Be flexible to change the actions when you deem it necessary, just remember that the destination remains constant.
Hebrew 11:1 (Amplified Version) says, Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses].
You have to step of the boat. Stamp out of mediocrity, wave goodbye to the masses and start being uncomfortable with safety in numbers.
Do you perceive that God called you out from the darkness (lack of knowledge) to shine light into the world?
Is it important to set God-sized goals? What do you think would be different if God backs your commitment to goals? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.
Habakkuk 2:2-3
Amplified Bible (AMP)
2 And
the Lord answered me and said, Write the vision and engrave it so
plainly upon tablets that everyone who passes may [be able to] read [it
easily and quickly] as he hastens by.
3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time and it hastens to the end [fulfillment]; it will not deceive or
disappoint. Though it tarry, wait [earnestly] for it, because it will
surely come; it will not be behindhand on its appointed day.photo credit: Krissy.Venosdale via photo pin cc
Love this post Jep, esp the three questions. God has recently been stirring me about dwelling and thriving in the realm of the impossible. So often we go with the simple and easy and possible. Almost everything in my life right now has that "what was i thinking of!?" quality. Humanly impossible. But the kind of thing that excites God..and kills the flesh!
ReplyDeleteThanks for this post. I needed it!
"Are my goals God-sized, can I accomplish them without God working with me?" You got me thinking!!!!!
ReplyDeleteNgina, I have so many "What was I thinking of?" questions as well. It's great to know that God will back our faith. It will work to our benefit if we believe that the impossible is possible with God.
ReplyDeleteI am blessed to know this message was timely - Iron sharpens iron. Thanks for reading and sharing.
Hi Sarah, glad to have you reading. It's awesome that you got thinking, thoughts such as these precede a great journey. Our perceptions of God determine how we work with Him. The opportunity we have is to grow in our faith by hearing God's word over and over and letting Him fight in our battles. Remember David versus Goliath - that was a God-sized goal right there!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing.
Hi Jep, I just found your blog today and I love what you said here,
ReplyDelete"God gives us a vision, then He takes us through a process. Our part to play is to hold on through the process. To let God shape us into who He desires of us. And to do that we have to set goals and work towards attaining them."
God is taking me through a process - I can feel it. And my part is to hold on to Him through the process - I love the way you put it.
The goals are a side issue but they can also be a stumbling block that makes it harder to hold on to God. At least for now, I'm finding I need to fight a lot harder to hold on to Him then back in the old days when I wasn't pursuing goals and just enjoying Him.
But I'm also beginning to see that it's a necessary part of the process of shaping me into who He wants me to be. Thanks for your wisdom to help me along on the journey, today.
Wow Barb, I am glad to have you here. I discovered your blog recently too, I have a lot of catching up to do :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for echoing those words and sharing your journey, we definitely need to hold on to God through the process. You remind me about the potter and the clay. Have you ever watched the precision with which the work is done? Any defect has to be redone until the pot is perfect. The clay can't also suggest how better to do the work.
Well said, we learn so much by submitting to God's leadership even as we pursue goals and as a result we grow more into who He desires of us. I appreciate your insights as well.
That is so funny - the clay can't also suggest how better to do the work. I'm just glad He's still working on my defects!
ReplyDelete:) I am also glad God is still working on me too. Thanks Barb.
ReplyDelete