Does God Care About Your Goals?

The prettier side of the polar vortex at Plum Prairie Ranch, January 2025

Does God care about your goals?

We’re more than halfway through January, and I’m wondering, “How are you doing on your New Year’s resolutions?”

Are you still on track with some well-researched goals, or did you stumble right out of the gate?

You vowed to eat clean, only to find yourself stress eating leftover peanut brittle and summer sausage. Maybe you resolved to make better use of your time and ended up scrolling the hours away on social media.

You set a goal of running or walking three days a week and a polar vortex kept you housebound.

Or maybe you don’t do resolutions. You’re stubborn that way and refuse to do something just because everybody else is talking about it.

Or you’ve been burned in the past by starting with lofty aims, only to come crashing back to earth amid tiresome routines and stresses of life.

As I’m wrestling with keeping to my own goal of growing my writing career, the question occurred to me, “Does God care about my goals?”

In light of numerous Bible verses and stories, I think He does, with one BIG caveat, which I’ll get to later.

One of my goals for 2025 is to spend more time working with my horse Penny.

Why set goals?

Here are three reasons I think God wants us to plan our lives:

1. To fullfill our God-given purpose

God created each of us with unique gifts designed to glorify Him. He made us ON purpose FOR purpose. We can better use those God-given gifts when we plan to put them into action.

“For You formed my inward parts; You knitted me together in my mother’s womb.” – Psalm 139:13

“For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?” – Luke 14:28

“The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.” – Proverbs 21:5

How can we use our gifts to point others to Jesus?

I want to use my writing to encourage others to draw closer to God.

You might enjoy cooking or decorating. Can you be intentional about taking a meal to someone in need or inviting others into your home?

2. To maximize our most precious resource: TIME

When we plan out our days with intention, we’re making the most of the time we’ve been given.

I’m not always good at this. Some days I have a well-considered task list and get that little dopamine rush when I check something off. Other days, I don’t plan and I end up wasting time. Or unexpected urgent needs (are we out of toilet paper?) create havoc in my calendar.

But that doesn’t tell me to stop trying to plan.

“Teach us to number our days that we might bet a heart of wisdom.” – Psalm 90:12

“Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, redeemigg the time, because the days are evil.” – Ephesians 5:15-16

3. To grow in our faith

Goals help us see the hand of God at work. When we set a stretch goal that requires both dedicated prayer and concerted effort, we can see how God helps us throughout our days.

For example, I had no clue what I was going to write about this week, but all the New Year’s resolution articles in my news feed prompted my question, “Does God care about our goals?”

The question pointed me to the Bible and, I hope, draws me into a closer walk with Jesus.

I am reminding myself that my goals are not the ultimate goal; His are. And I’m an imperfect human who messes up a lot.

I like what Paul has to say on this subject:

“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

– Philippians 3:12-14

We lost Elektra a little over a year ago. She’s a tough act to follow, but I’m looking forward to getting another dog in 2025.

A healthy helping of humility

Here’s my big caveat when it comes to setting goals: I want to submit to God’s plans over mine.

You know the old saying, “We plan and God laughs.”

I don’t really think God laughs at my plans, but I want to hold my plans loosely and follow where He leads.

“The heart of man plans his way but the Lord establishes his steps.” – Proverbs 16:9

“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” – Proverbs 19:21

“Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit’—yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.’” – James 4:13-15

My take away is to adopt a humble approach to planning. I want to plan but not be so focused on my goals that I get frustrated when my plans go awry.

I can ask, “What is God doing in this situation and how can I stay in step with Him?”

Here’s a vision brainstorming page from my 2025 bullet journal. Shawn calls it “doing your arts and crafts.” I call it planning with style.

Setting godly goals

Here are four things I want to do when I set goals:

1. Pray and focus on what the Lord wants from me

2. Look to God’s Word so I know what that is

3. Be willing to pivot by submitting my plans to God and adjusting when necessary

A magical Labor Day snowfall at Old Faithful in 2020 or Narnia, take your pick.

I can think of no better way to wrap up the topic of goal setting with two of my favorite verses that remind us how to live every day.

“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” – Matthew 6:33

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” – Proverbs 3:5-6

How to make resolutions you will keep

and looking back at not keeping very many of them…

Moving forward with joy and overcoming disappointment