Now that we are halfway through the year, how about we do a goal check?
How have you done on the plans you made for the year? Are you at the halfway mark? It is completely fine to adjust your goals based on shifting circumstances or timelines you didn’t anticipate. I really think that is half the beauty of goals – realizing you can change and improve on them.
Genuine Change
Speaking of change, let’s think about change for a minute. Some people will say they’ll never change, which tells me that that’s what some folks think personally. But really, as Christians, I think it is our duty to be open to changing as weakness and areas to improve are revealed to us.
To truly surrender our life and our hearts to God leaves us open and capable to shift, grow and change as He leads. So when someone says they can’t change, perhaps they are simply saying they aren’t willing to put in the work to change. Because a true and genuine change can be hard work. It is a daily choice to surrender our own preferences to God’s lead.
But let me counter all this with a heartfelt encouragement to make sure that the change you are working towards is God honoring. The changes you want to embrace might look a lot like Philippians 4:8. We are not talking changes that the world embraces. Our Christian foundation should be built on rock, not shifting and changing with the latest crazy thing the world is embracing. The Ten Commandments still apply, God never changes.
Pursuing Improving
Pursuing improving should be a lifelong goal. But “improving” alone is too vague a goal and should be defined and measurable.
Examining your goals halfway through the year will give you an idea of where you stand. Perhaps you need to buckle down on some goals, while others you might be a bit ahead of schedule on. Maybe you even have a new one or two to throw in the mix!
Goal setting is flexible and personal. You don’t have to set them to please another. They can be all yours, right down to the smallest details. They can be hopes and dreams, glimpses of something wonderful. Write it down and pray about how to make progress towards it!
Above all, make sure your goals are God honoring, positive, worthwhile goals. Perhaps you have diet or workout goals so you can be in better health to serve those God brings into your life.
A goal check will help you see progress you’ve made and also help you better plan the second half of your year!
Walk Uprightly
…No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly. – Psalm 84:11b
We must give God our best all the time. Not most the time, not be pretty good, but walk uprightly all the time. He didn’t give His only Son to die for our sins in order for us to work during the week and then goof off on the weekends.
Another translation reads that no good thing will He withhold from those who walk with integrity. Integrity is being genuine, no matter who you are around or the setting you are in. If you claim to be one of God’s, act like it. Not that you have to make announcements and make sure everyone knows, but rather that you seek to reflect Him well in all you do.
As you do your goal check, consider as a Christian how you measure up to where you want to be. Make changes and work to improve your quality of life and attitude for God. This might mean letting go of friends that don’t encourage Christian behavior or it might mean reading your Bible more to help you worry less.
Pray and ask God what changes He would have you make and then courageously step in to those changes.
Until Next Time!
Hope.
PS. Want to read more on goal setting? It can be fun! https://www.theamericanlady.com/2016/10/10/whats-your-plan/