Proverbs 16:3:  Commit your works to the Lord and He will establish your plans.

What this means is that when we devote our tasks, duties and projects to the Lord, he brings about our goals, he makes a clear path for us to make progress.

How do we know this?

We believe this to be true because all of scripture is from God, and if God says it is so, then we believe Him!

You might be hearing me right now and having the skeptic in your mind rise up and say, “Now hold on….God doesn’t always bring about MY goals!”

Well….are you sure about that?

Think about the last goal you really, really wanted to achieve. But did not.

Then, do an honest assessment based upon these following questions regarding the goal.

1. Looking back, did you offer up prayer to God for the goal you were asking to achieve?

2.  Did you firmly believe that it was done…that the goal, however far into the future, was already accomplished? This piece requires faith and conviction that can only come from the Father through the power of the Holy Spirit.

3. Then, knowing that your prayer was fruitful, and that your goal would come to be, did you then commit – pledge – dedicate your works – the actions you would then take – to the Lord for His blessing? Were you faithful to do this for each step of the way, each part of the plan?

4. And by the way, step 3 is predicated on the fact that you would have already crafted your action plan.  Did you put in the work to think through the action steps which would need to be taken in order to execute on your strategy for the goal?

You know, if you can honestly answer yes to each of the above four questions, and God did NOT grant you what you prayed and asked, then you have some choices to make.

Your first and best choice would be to recognize that God’s not done with you on this particular goal. Ask yourself what else you might need to do. Align your thoughts with God…pray for discernment and wisdom and additional faith. Are you three feet from the gold? If you press on towards the goal, will you achieve it? Is it possible? Do you believe what Jesus said, that with man, things are impossible but with God, all things are possible (Matthew 19:26)?

Your second choice would be to give up on God and His promises. Now that’s a bleak choice. It not only puts you in the position of forevermore carrying the heaviest of burdens without the awesome assistance of the Holy Spirit but it also consigns you to a place of complete reliance on yourself, rather than on Jesus Christ. Unfathomable.

There is at least one additional choice.

There is the choice to believe that God heard your prayer, and sees your faith, but has something even better in mind for you than the goal committed to Him. In this case, free will comes into play because he allows you to pursue your plans even though….even though…He has something else for you.

So, doing this thought work, what did you come up with regarding your unachieved goal?

Did you do all the things, and yet, find that perhaps there is more that you need to do to push the extra three feet?

Did you do all the things, and decide God’s not with you and so….you are gonna go it alone? (I sincerely hope not.)

Or, did you do all the things, without achieving that goal, but upon reflection, recognize that God actually did a new thing, a thing beyond what you had thought or imagined, instead?

I’d sure love to know. Send me a note at monica@sharedgoalsconsulting.com and illuminate me!

I believe God wants to walk the walk with us and He is faithful to honor what he says he will do in the bible.

What do you believe?