Dear Readers, I can say that 2025 was nothing like I had planned or even imagined at the beginning of that year. We come up with plans or goals for every year, and we think… “Yeah, I’m gonna check all these things off my bucket list, and when this year ends, I’ll be a new person!” Can we be real for a minute? I think setting goals is beautiful and making plans for a better future is truly something I think God wants us to strive for and dream up, but I also think that we mix our dreams with His plan. I think if we were being honest, we make these lists to feel like we are going for something that others can see even before we believe it for ourselves. Have you ever asked yourself, “Where did that idea come from?” “When was this something I really wanted?” Let’s stop and be real with ourselves for a minute.
Pause. Stop. Take a deep breath. If you have a physical list, as I do on a piece of paper or even typed out on the Pages app, get it out and look at this list. Ask yourself this. “Why do I want to accomplish this?” “Is this a resolution or actually obtainable? Am I doing this cause everyone else has health or workout goals? Lots of questions swirl around our heads when we turn a new leaf on life, and you know what, that’s ok. I think this tells us we have the motivation to aspire to these things, but when you put it all out to do in one month, it can overwhelm you! I’m a list girl, and I’ve mentioned this in my past writings, but something I’ve noticed over the years is that when I make all these things to do on my January calendar, it all of a sudden floods my mind with thoughts of motivation at first, but then complete overstimulation and feelings of failure instantly! Why do we overload ourselves? Again, pause, stop, take a deep breath, and let’s be real with how we can achieve our personal goals as well as goals God desires for us to pursue with Him.
This year, I want to start simple. I want to put on my overalls and sit down with my journal and ask God before my mind starts racing in front of me to make my to-do list. I have practical goals, and I have goals that only Jesus and I can work on together, and those lists sometimes go hand in hand, but oftentimes He teaches me through discipline in my practical goals. For example, I am working on my food choices for 2026. I have the knowledge on how to take care of my body right, but of course, my mind wants to say, “Lose weight” and “Workout,” but let’s get real, that is not my end goal. My goal is to discipline myself to choose better in the grocery store and choose to eat better. If I lose weight, great, but that is not the end goal. Through sacrifice, I can learn how to care for my body and learn that sacrifice can have its positives and struggles, but isn’t that what it is to follow Jesus? See how they can go hand in hand! I’m going to have my highs and lows this year and probably failures when I cave for something I know I shouldn’t do, but I know that Jesus sees my heart and will help me get back on track.
I’m sharing this because not only do I want to inspire and encourage you to go for something this year, but to allow you to say this phrase when you struggle. Let’s Be Real with ourselves this year. Let’s be real about where we are in life. Are you starting strong or weary? Are you spiritually filled and content with where you are at, or are you raw and angry? Can I encourage you with this? Anywhere you start, God is ready for you. You can bring it all to Him and can be real with Him, and He will start wherever you are at. Let’s be real, we all carry things over from 2025, but we don’t have to keep those! It may not be something easy to release and surrender to Him right away, but make it a goal to press deeper into Him about these things. Don’t say, “It was last year.” Say, “Lord, it was last year, and I’m still not ok with it!” Jesus would rather you be in a real moment than faking it all year long!
So readers, let’s be real with Him in 2026. Let’s set goals with Him in mind and not just what the world says you should strive for. Let’s make our lists of things we can carry out daily instead of when we feel like it. You have goals, but God has plans for you for 2026. Let’s pursue these with ambition and passion!
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