Finally, it’s important to trust God to bring your goals to life in his timing, and in the best ways. Fast results can be good sometimes, but God’s kingdom often moves much slower, because it includes many different factors from an eternal perspective. While you wait to accomplish your goals, wait with hope. Galatians 6:9 encourages you: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Sometimes, despite your best efforts, a goal takes longer than you expected, or it changes along the way. You can glorify God by trusting that his “no” or his “wait” is just as loving as his “yes.” If you don’t reach a goal by a self-imposed deadline, don’t assume you’ve failed God. God may be doing work you can’t see yet that requires more time. Isaiah 40:31 promises: “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” As long as you’re focusing on God’s will, you’ll be successful from God’s perspective. Don’t worry about trying to control the results of your goals; release the results to God and enjoy the freedom of just doing your best and trusting God to do the rest.
In conclusion, remember that the best goals are those that move you closer to God. As you look forward and dream about what this next season could hold, remember that God loves you completely and unconditionally. You don’t have to achieve any goals to earn God’s love, and you can’t lose God’s love if you fail to achieve your goals. Just do your best to stay closely connected with God while you set goals and work on them. God will meet you there and help you do the important work he has prepared for you!
Related Resource: Let God Reframe Your Year: A Psalm 107 Year-End Reflection
As we wrap up our year together, I want to invite you into this meaningful spiritual practice: looking back on the year through the lens of Psalm 107 to identify the “fingerprints of God’s faithfulness. In this episode, we’ll walk through four redemptive storylines found in Psalm 107—each representing a way God rescues, restores, and reorients His people. Whether you felt lost, trapped, wounded, self-destructive, or overwhelmed by storms, I encourage you to reflect on how God met you in weakness and brought deliverance. This episode is part of our How to Study the Bible Podcast, a show that brings life back to reading the Bible and helps you understand even the hardest parts of Scripture. If this episode helps you know and love God more, be sure to subscribe to the How to Study the Bible Podcast on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
Photo Credit: Unsplash/Renel Wackett
