At the beginning of each year, we often find ourselves motivated to create goals for the new year.  For the last few years, I have settled into a rhythm of getting alone with God and asking for His guidance in looking back at the previous year, and looking forward to the new year.   

In 2024, in an early episode of season 1 of this podcast, I outlined the process that has become very helpful to me.  Here’s a quick review:

For the past year:

·         List the successes, growth, and fun I experienced (as encouragement).  

·         List my failures (as reminders of my dependence on God).  

·         Identify the lessons learned from these failures (as reminders of opportunities for continued growth and maturity).  

·         List examples of God’s faithfulness during the year (using the 20/20 vision of hindsight).

For the current year:

·         Identify my current challenges.

·         List my needs (letting God’s faithfulness during the previous year give me confidence in His guidance and provision for this year).

·         Identify my wants (recognizing that God knows what is good for me, and will respond accordingly).

·         List my goals (remembering to prioritize people over projects).

·         Give myself permission to list my dreams (even those that might take many years to come to fruition).  I remind myself that God may have actually put some of these dreams in my heart.

Then, in 2025, in an early episode of Season 2, I added some practical advice from Mike Foster, a personal and professional life coach, on this process.  He encourages us to not focus on starting something completely new, or trying to stop something completely.  Instead, he suggests that we:

·         Identify the things already in our lives that are bringing value,

·         Commit to building upon these things in meaningful ways, and 

·         Identify and celebrate big and little wins as progress.  

·         (I would add to this advice to look for the blessings in everything, as an encouragement to keep going.)

I now want to add some additional insight I have gleaned in this annual process.  It comes from what I have discovered is a surprising and healthy tension between two guiding biblical principles, illustrated by two different quotes from Jesus.  

The first principle is illustrated in the following passage:

Luke 14:28-30 HCSB  "For which of you, wanting to build a tower, doesn't first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it?  (29)  Otherwise, after he has laid the foundation and cannot finish it, all the onlookers will begin to make fun of him,  (30)  saying, 'This man started to build and wasn't able to finish.'  

I call this the “plan and count the cost” principle.  Jesus is encouraging us to plan with Him.   Here is the second passage:

Luke 9:1-6 HCSB  Summoning the Twelve, He gave them power and authority over all the demons, and power to heal diseases.  (2)  Then He sent them to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.  (3)  "Take nothing for the road," He told them, "no walking stick, no traveling bag, no bread, no money; and don't take an extra shirt.  (4)  Whatever house you enter, stay there and leave from there.  (5)  If they do not welcome you, when you leave that town, shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them."  (6)  So they went out and traveled from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing everywhere.

I call this the “just trust the Lord” principle.  Jesus is also encouraging us to trust Him.

So, what do these principles have to do with my annual time with the Lord?  Simply this:  It is good to take time with the Lord, listen to Him, and make plans for the year.  But, as the year unfolds, I must also hold these plans lightly in my hands, being open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit to change course during the year as He directs, and trusting the Lord in these deviations from the plans.  

What about you?  Will you spend some time alone with God, allowing Him to work with you in formulating plans for this year, balanced by a simple trust in His guidance so as to not over plan?

Today, I encourage you to “Reflect on This.”