How to follow God's plan for your life
Following God's plan for your life is life-saving. Although I stopped making new year resolutions, I'm learning to follow God's plan for my life, through the help of the Holy-Spirit.
The goal isn't to plan the way the world does, but to follow God's leading and accept His plan for our lives.
You do not even know what will happen tomorrow! What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord is willing, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your proud intentions. All such boasting is evil.…
So how can you plan the year with God? How do you follow God's plan for your life and worry less about the unknown?
Going into an uncertain future is unpredictable, but when we go with God, he's able to make all things work together for our good.
God doesn't use a calendar
So please take it easy on yourself. We must not be motivated by fear but faith in God. And Faith entails being patient too.
You don't have to get it right at the beginning of the year. It's okay to spend time adding and cutting off your excesses.
Give yourself space and time to grow.
That project doesn't have to be birthed immediately.
Well, it could, but it doesn't have to. Except you have a deadline. But make sure you're not the one putting yourself under unnecessary pressure.
Take a deep breath and celebrate that in your own little way.
Pray Always
Rejoice at all times. PRAY without ceasing. Give thanks in every circumstance, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
1Thessalonians 5:16-18
Are you confused about God's will for your life? Pray. Jesus prayed to the Father often. Because prayer is how you communicate with God. As you pray and wait on God, you'll learn to discern His will and how he wants you to move.
Then you can give thanks and rejoice in His name.
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God
Philippians 4:6
Don't complain about God being mute when you haven't spent enough quality time in His presence.
Praying helps to filter your plans so you know which is worth your time.
You don't have to do everything!
Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter, was come to go in unto the king, she required NOTHING BUT what Hegai the king's chamberlain, the keeper of the women, appointed. And Esther obtained favour in the sight of all them that looked upon her.
esther 2:15
Just like Esther, we need to be content with God's plan for our lives. She only utilized what Hegai prescribed.
Nothing more! And she found favour before the King. She was chosen to be Queen just by focusing on the most important thing.
We must know what the Holy-Spirit is saying to us so we don't waste our time.
Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
Ephesians 5:17
Trust Him, He alone is enough.
My waiting on God helped me filter so many courses and activities I would have indulged in. This saved me time and money.
My purpose in Christ sharpened my focus on what had to be done and what should be discarded.
Each day should be intentionally lived. We shouldn't spend our time on spiritually unprofitable things but we must learn follow God's leading in every area of our lives.
Set realistic goals
General goals don't help. Set specific goals.
For example, goals like 'I want to lose weight' is vague.
Be more specific: I want to lose weight by 2, 5 or 10kg this year.
How?
Enrol for the gym (depends on your time and money) or watch Youtube videos three or five times a week.
What areas of my body do I want to tone or work on? My thighs or my abs
I would like to enrol for courses and skills.
Be detailed: Sewing classes? Professional development skills or handcraft skills?
Check your goals through the Spirit.
Yes or No? If Yes, pray to God to make it more specific about the when and the how.
Vague Goal: I would like to build my relationship with God this year
Specific Goals:
Every morning, my soul must get a word from God.
I need to communicate with the HolySpirit more.
I need to participate and serve well in the place God has planted me. How can I participate? Be proactive about it and block your calendar with the time you've allocated for yourself.
Vague goal: I need godly friends in my life
Specific Goals: Build deliberate friendships. Make friends with God seekers. Pray about it and give yourself time to work your way through friendships.
Learn how to build godly relationships that last
Be open to flexibilities and possibilities different from your goals
While it's good to make plans, we must be open to God's will so we don't get offended when things don't happen our way.
I recall God leading me to do certain things in 2019. Mid-year, God came in with a different goal entirely and I had to align myself with His new leading.
I never planned to release or write the Sequel to Beautiful Wings! But while spending time with God, he ministered to me about it and I started writing it this year.
The blog was never part of the plan. I wasn't even aware God would release me to write this year. Up until May when he started whispering it into my heart.
Months later as I kept checking and waiting, he started to tell me the way he wanted it, how he wanted it, and the person he wanted for the job (design the blog).
A spiritual man must be flexible to the Lord's leading. Because the Lord's leading might be offensive if your heart isn't transforming.
No one said walking with God was easy, but it's definitely worth it.
Keep a journal
Get a journal to help you track your physical and spiritual growth as you follow God's plan for your life. The year 2019 was a mixed year for me and time flew by really fast. Through my journal I was able to observe my spiritual growth and see how far I've come.
A journal can help you track where you are and what should be addressed.
I recall God sharing some projects with me in the year 2018. Although I didn't accomplish them, I can continue to check it, pray about it and surrender it to Him until he provides the when, the how and the way it should be done.
Your journal can be a source of reminder and enable you keep track of your spiritual and physical growth.
Obedience
Obedience accelerates growth and helps us align with God's plan. Esther obeyed Hegai's instructions and she became Queen. Imagine if she'd chosen her own way.
Without obedience, we might as well have scriptures bouncing back at us. But the more we obey God, we get clarity on the next stage and how to move forward.
We are able to follow God's plan for our lives by obeying his instructions.
Obedience reveals how much of God we want and how much self we are willing to shed or discard.
Following God's plan over ours may feel foolish, but to God, every detail counts and he cherishes your willingness to do His will.
God will not leave you comfortless. He will guide you through your journey. You can read more on that here.
Bloom with Love. Xx!