Have you ever found yourself going around in circles trying to accomplish your goals, but getting nowhere? You have zero motivation, zero inspiration, and zero attention span. You are constantly distracted by your seemingly endless tasks, but none of them are important to you or are getting you any closer to your goals. Well, welcome to the club. About 92% of average people out there are in this situation. They say only 8% – a mere 8% of people actually achieve their goals. I sure would like to believe that that percentage is actually higher than what that statistic shows us. I would love to believe that there are really more than 8% out there in the world that are achieving their goals. But regardless, even if there are more than 8% or even say 15%, that’s still pretty discouraging. There are definitely plenty of us out there that aren’t accomplishing our goals at all.
Pretty sad and grim. But then there’s this scripture:
I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me. {Psalm 57:2}
And this:
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. {Philippians 4:13}
Often times the only answer is the Lord. Maybe it’s time for Him to intervene on our behalf. Maybe we’ve been doing it our way too many times, and we’ve not allowed the Lord to have a say in our plans and in our goals. Or maybe we’ve been too busy and too caught up planning our plans, and doing things our own way that we can’t even see things clearly anymore. This reminds me of the time of the children of Judah after they got back from the land of Babylon. After many years of being back in Jerusalem the temple still lies in ruins. The walls are still fallen down and have not been repaired. They’ve been so busy trying to take care of their lives and trying to make ends meet, that they’ve neglected to do the work of the Lord. Maybe we’ve done the same thing. Maybe we’re supposed to do the work of the Lord and we haven’t been doing it, and so now He’s put a monkey wrench in our plans. We’re too busy doing our own work and have totally forgotten the Lord. Remember this scripture in the Book of Haggai?
Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes. {Haggai 1:6}
It doesn’t matter what situation we find ourselves in. If we’re frustrated and discontent with our lives and if we want things to change, the only way to see that change is to cry out to the Lord and seek His face. Find out what’s going on. Have we ignored His calling? Have we been so busy that we have not spent the time we’re supposed to spend with Him? Are we supposed to be doing His work but have been too busy to do it? Have we actually forgotten about it? You know, we could never out-give God. Whatever time we spend with Him is always an investment for our future. The Bible tells us that if we seek Him first and His kingdom that all these things will be added unto us. {Matthew 6:33} If we put the Lord first He will direct us and crown our efforts with success. If we acknowledge Him He will direct our paths. {Proverbs 3:6} Jesus tells us that whatever we give up for Him in this life not only will it be given to us many times over here and now, but we will also be guaranteed eternal life with Him. {Matthew 19:29} It’s truly is a win-win situation with the Lord when we take the time to put Him first and His kingdom.
Maybe it’s time to stop going around in circles and trying to make our own plans. Maybe it’s time to take a moment and talk to the Lord about it, and see what He can do for us. Maybe we’re not accomplishing our goals because they are all about us, and we’ve forgotten Him completely. Remember the psalmist stated,
I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me. {Psalm 57:2}
The Lord is faithful in His love for us. If we decide to cry out to Him and repent from pursuing our own goals and tasks, and drop everything and do what He tells us to do, He will come through for us and will bless us. It is amazing how He can stop time for us and get us back into accomplishing what we’ve been needing to accomplish. I have tried this again and again. When I’m worrying about my own goals and tasks and start to neglect the Lord, I find myself going in circles trying to accomplish the things I need to accomplish. I have learned in the process of time with my relationship with the Lord that it’s time to reschedule my goals. It’s time to redirect my mind toward spending time with Him first, rather than worrying about the tasks at hand. Even if it’s really important to me, I need to put the Lord first and do His work first. And I tell you, because I’ve experienced this again and again, it works. The things I’ve been needing to get done, get done. The things that are way overdue get accomplished. I don’t know how He does it, but He does it when I put Him first. I’ve learned again and again with Him that the way to get God to accomplish things for me in this life is to put Him first.
Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. {Proverbs 3:5-6}
Prayer
Heavenly Father, I thank You with all of my heart for Your great love for us. I thank You that nothing is too hard with You. You know how to stop time and accomplish things for us and for those that love You. Help us then Father to do Your work first. Help us to spend time with You to seek Your face and Your will. Without You we are nothing. This life we’re living in right now is all very temporary. The only thing that will last for eternity is what we’ve done for You and our prayer life with You. Help us Lord Jesus to remember You. Help us to hand You our plans and our goals and have You involved in it, because only You matter in the end. Only You can accomplish things that seems impossible for us to accomplish. Please Father, help us and forgive us if we’ve neglected You and have not done Your work. Forgive us and help us to do You work today, I pray. In Your most wonderful and precious name, Jesus. Thank You Father. Amen.
