How to Bring God Into Your New Year Planning
When I was younger, I used to love making plans. Okay let's be honest, I was pretty obsessed with it. I mean, it was scary. I used to make a trail leading from my bed of all the things I would need to do to get ready for school. First came my outfit for the day. Then I would take a step and there were my shoes, then my hair brush, a little of this a little of that and BOOM... I was in my bathroom ready to finish getting ready for the day. This is seriously SO embarrassing to write! Well, I don't do that now (Thank the Lord!), but lists are still one of my favorite things in the world. Sometimes, I'll even add really lame things to my list like "make coffee" or "fold laundry" just so I can have more things to check off my list! There's something about checking off tasks that just feels so good.
"I did that. I finished that. I accomplished this." It almost becomes like a drug or a high and at some point, I need my next fix. Then on the other hand, if I don't do a good job at checking off my list, I get discouraged and I tend to not want to do anything else. After all, I've already failed so much, what's the point? I'll just start again tomorrow. It's a back and forth, emotional rollercoaster of major productivity and absolute laziness.
And now it’s the New Year, when resolutions and goals go on overdrive as we map out the people we want to be by the end of next year. Have you ever felt overwhelmed by it all? Have you ever finished writing out your list for the New Year only to realize you have more expectations than you feel you’ll actually be able to handle? It’s exciting at first, but then it becomes more of a burden as each box goes unchecked longer and longer, reminding us of how we’re not measuring up.
God’s word promises us a better way to live. He doesn’t expect us to handle everything in this life on our own, and that includes growing up and becoming more of the people we were born to be. That is why he sent us his word, to be a guide for our hearts, a lamp for our feet and a reminder that we are never alone.
“And the Lord will continually guide you, and satisfy your soul in scorched and dry places, and give strength to your bones; and you will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.”
We have a promise that God will guide us. But too often we’re afraid that we’ll miss where he’s leading us. We don’t have to be afraid that we’ll miss God. He is not only willing, but has given us his word to be a light to our feet and a lamp to our path… We may only see the very next step but once we take it, the next one comes into the light. He is always faithful and knows the road ahead.
He is our steadfastness, our hope and our promise of safety. But how can we be sure we’re following after him as we map out our plans for the year? Well, I’m glad you asked :) Here are 3 ways we can follow after his wisdom for our lives in 2018.
“In all your ways know and acknowledge and recognize Him, and He will make your paths straight and smooth [removing obstacles that block your way]. ”
First, we must acknowledge and recognize him. How much time do you actually spend recognizing God in your life? I know I struggle with this one so much sometimes. I’ll get my morning bible time in and then go about my life as if he was just one of those check marks on a list of “things I need to get done today.” I hardly recognize him in my life, in every area of my life, and then I wonder why I don’t know what he wants me to do. Life is full of obstacles that seem to block our way. But when we acknowledge his finished work in our lives and recognize his love for us, in the midst of our circumstances, we will literally see those obstacles removed from our path. He makes our way straight and smooth.
“Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires and petitions of your heart.”
Next, when we delight ourselves in the Lord, the bible says he will give us the desires and petitions of our hearts. Does this mean that God’s holding out on us? So, only if I give him the attention he needs then he’ll give me what I want? NO!!! Far from it. Our God has such a big heart for his people and he wants to see you walk into your dreams more than you do!
But in this life we have two choices: life or death. We can choose what we will set our hearts on and the enemy wants to get your focus off of God and his goodness and onto your current situation and what you don’t have right now. That’s why praise is so powerful- it completely destroys the works of the enemy and aligns our hearts with the will of our Father, which is to give us the desires of our hearts.
Don’t think that God is holding out on you. He is your biggest fan. Who do you think put those dreams in that heart of yours, anyway? As you lay out what you want to accomplish this year, make some room to simply acknowledge what God has already done for you and who he is in your life right now. Set a timer on your phone if you have to and just spend a few minutes thanking him. You’ll be amazed at how contagious it is! And you will literally begin to put power to your plans and attract the desires of your heart into your life.
“Whatever you do [no matter what it is] in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus [and in dependence on Him], giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”
Now this last one can be a little more tricky, at least for me :) I’m the first one to write down some goals and think about where I want to be. But walking those out day after day, and putting my trust in God to bring them about, isn’t always my natural tendency. I tend to lean more in the direction of what I can do and accomplish rather than what He is able to do through me.
Yes, we do have a part to play. If you write down a bunch of goals this year and then do absolutely nothing to work towards them, then nothing will be accomplished. But, if we get in the habit of trying to achieve everything in our own strength, then we will fall short of the plans He has for us, which are always so much greater than what we plan for ourselves.
I was told growing up that if I could see myself accomplishing all of my dreams on my own, then I wasn’t dreaming big enough. God wants to do exceedingly and abundantly above all we can ask, think or imagine! Can you believe that? More than you can even think up in your mind. In everything that we do, in every goal we set out to achieve, and in every check box we cross off, let’s remember to invite God into the day and ask for his help, guidance and direction in our lives.
He has so much for you in this new year! If the enemy can just keep you distracted with duties, demands, or just how much you can do yourself, then he can keep you numb to God’s leading. But we don’t have to be afraid of missing out! We have his word, a light to our feet and a lamp to our path. So if we ever feel we’ve drifted a bit, we can just look up and keep going. He is always good and always faithful and always wanting to take you to the next level. Let’s make this new year the year we fully trusted God and let him direct our steps. Bring his power to your plans and watch them transform into a life well lived.
Write these chapters well,
Jess