As we enter the new year, I know that many people are abuzz with New Year’s goals and plans that they have set for themselves. I remember in previous years how I would obsess about the goals that I had laid out for myself for the following year. I would have lists upon lists and a plan of action to go with each goal. But this year, my approach is a little different.
In early 2024, during a conversation with someone who I had just met, she proudly uttered these words when I asked her what she does for a living.
“I go wherever God leads me.”
We quickly moved onto a new topic of discussion but that phrase has stayed with me since. I couldn’t just move past it. Never before had I actually heard someone utter those words with such conviction, peace and confidence. Even though I had no evidence to substantiate her claims, I believed her wholeheartedly and honestly, I was a bit jealous of her conviction.
And yet, that is how God is calling us to be. We are called to move according to His will. In Pastor Francis Chan’s book, Crazy Love, he has a whole chapter where he lists characteristics of “Lukewarm people.” In one section he writes,
“Lukewarm people do not live by faith; their lives are structured so they never have to. They don’t have to trust God if something unexpected happens – they have their savings account…..They don’t genuinely seek out what life God would have them live—they have life figured and mapped out….The truth is, their lives wouldn’t look much different if they suddenly stopped believing in God.”
I hate to admit it, but I was really convicted by that statement at the time. I thought to myself, Am I that far away from living by faith that I consider a lukewarm life a life of faith?
But as I always do – I digress.
With all the above-mentioned thoughts, I approached my goal-setting with a different mindset this year. Yes, I have my goals and dreams. I have things that I want to improve on and things that I want to get rid of. I have things that I hope to achieve. I do not believe that God doesn’t want us to dream; on the contrary, I believe that at times we are guilty of not trusting Him enough with our dreams. But what I am saying is this: I want God’s will for my life first before my own, before my family’s, before my friend’s, before my church’s. I want to walk with Jesus and ask Him, “Okay, what’s next, Lord?”
I want to see what He wants me to see.
I want to hear what He wants me to hear.
I want His desires to become my desires until one day, I too can say with confidence, conviction and peace,
“I go where my Father leads me.”
Luke 9:23 (NLT)
“Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you want to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.”
