Each year, I like to take the opportunity to remind you to prep for the coming year. We do this by reexamining our goals and brainstorming goals for the New Year. Nothing inspires progress as much as realizing where you are compared to where you want to be.
But how do we bridge this gap between where we are and where we want to be? It’s simple and easy: Progress.
I like to think of progress as faithful consistency. But in order to make progress, we must determine where we need to practice this faithful consistency.
Make Your Plans
We have a verse hanging on our wall at home that says, “Commit your works to the Lord and your plans will be established.”
I’ve spent some time thinking over that verse. Yes, I do my best to commit my work to the Lord, but perhaps I do it in a bit more of a passive way than I should. I pray about my plans and things that come up, but I spend a lot of prayer in pondering. Lord should I do this or that – what would You have me do? Just direct me, please, I really don’t know what the right way to proceed is…
There is so much to seek God about – and I sincerely encourage and advise you seek Him in all that you do. But perhaps a bit more faith-filled action and a bit less apprehension should be tapped into here.
Now I’m certainly not talking about anything crazy, but I do believe that God created each of His people for a unique purpose and He has given each of us a hint of that purpose. And it is our duty to purposefully and prayerfully pursue it.
The verse says to commit your work to the Lord – to me this means you should work unto God. Work to bring glory to His name and to reflect His goodness. It is said that you might be the only glimpse of God that some people see. I certainly want to honor Him in this way.
Commit Your Plans
Once we have committed our plans to the Lord – meaning we have prayerfully considered and are faithfully pursuing – then we can work confidently knowing that these plans will be established. That is quite the promise!
With this promise so generously offered, it is more important than ever that we are faithful in our work. That doesn’t mean that we have to work every waking moment, but rather that we need to be honest with ourselves and with others so that we are focused in what we do. If we say that we are going to work on a certain project but goof off scrolling social media, our plans will not be established. The progress we might have made, the time and effort we could have invested, has been wasted. We were not committing our work to the Lord.
But when we work well, when we focus and stay on track, our plans are established – He blesses faithful workers!
Determining Your Plans
Now that you might have a hint as to how important it is to make plans, how do you go about determining what your plans should be? Ask God to show you, to speak to your heart, and then start somewhere. Get quiet and really think deeply – if only for five minutes.
What are the little whisperings in your heart. Home school, you might hear, home schooling is vital to your children’s well being. Or perhaps, you need to get ready to scale your business because growth is on the horizon and it is so important that you prepare well for it.
God doesn’t keep His plan for you a mystery from you but you must seek Him. Ask that He show you, seek His answer, and knock on the doors (opportunities) that are presented. Lather, rinse, repeat. He has never created a plain or boring person. Each of His people has a purpose and it is our duty to discover it.
Ask, Seek, Knock.
Again, and again, and again. Opportunities will come and go, things will change, and we must gracefully navigate where He leads.
Plan for the Years Ahead
Though we don’t know what the future may hold, we do know Who holds our future. He directs us and He always provides. This is why it is essential to faithfully pursue what He has for us.
We might not fully understand the reasoning behind the path He takes us on, but if we will give Him our best, in time it will become clear. Nothing in life happens by chance.
Take time to really think about what He has put on your heart. Measure these dreams through Scripture’s guidelines and then begin to work your way towards them.
Do you have to travel to a foreign country or give up your home to truly serve Him well? No. Serve Him where you are. He can use you in the most surprising of ways.
For years, He had me sell bubble envelopes. Can you really serve God selling shipping supplies? If you give Him your best and serve others well, you most absolutely can. Run your race remarkably well and give Him the glory.
All this boils down to say what I initially wanted to remind you – get your 2020 planner or journal before they sell out! Right down the teeny tiny steps of progress that you need to make next starting right where you are. You will be amazed at how this faithful consistency adds up to take you so much further than you ever dreamed! May 2020 be your most exciting year yet!
Until Next Time!
Hope.
PS. Emily Ley now sells planners at Walmart and not only are they pretty, but they are quite affordable too! Double win: https://www.walmart.com/