New Year’s Day always catches me without a plan for the year ahead. While everyone else is talking about their goals for the New Year, I’m still recovering from Christmas. Instead of crafting a life vision or family mission statement, I’m just enjoying family time before my son returns to college. Some years, I don’t get around to setting goals until February.
Theoretically, I know goals are a good thing for effective living, but they’re not my strong point. I’ve been known to make an elaborate plan on paper with goals for the whole year, and then lose it. In fact, I may or may not have looked at my vision and goal chart once or twice last year.
And then there are those years when life brings unforeseen circumstances that get in the way of my plan. When we make plans for the future, we’re never 100% sure they’ll pan out. Because sometimes God has different goals for us than we do.
Over the next weeks I’ll spend time brainstorming and praying over goals in several areas:
- Spiritual Growth (Loving God First)
- Loving my Family
- Life Disciplines (Caring for Myself)
- Caring for my Home
- Writing Ministry
- Encouraging Women around Me
This January as I look at the New Year, I see uncharted territory. My youngest is applying for college, so come September I’ll be looking at an empty nest. We’re also planning an international move this summer, but we don’t have a date yet.
As I look ahead into the unknown, I can breathe easier because Jesus is with me:
I have a Good Shepherd with a good plan for me.
Rather than focusing on the year ahead, I want to focus on my Shepherd. As I make staying close to Jesus my number one goal, I know He’ll lead me down the right path.
Of course, we need to make plans for our lives, but I want to hold mine loosely. I can relax and surrender my plans to my Shepherd because I trust His leading. As I work on the goals I believe God has given me, He’ll work out His design for my life, even if it doesn’t quite turn out like I expected.
My Good Shepherd loves me.
When life gets in the way of my plan, I still know I am loved.
This year might bring unexpected, unhoped for wrenches in our plans, but we can trust God because we know He loves us. Even when His plan gets in the way of our goals. And when we don’t get things right, the pressure’s off because we know our plans are a starting point for God to work.
We know we’re loved because our Good Shepherd already laid down His life for us. Since He loved us that much, we can trust His plan for us, even when it’s different than we expected.
What about you, friend?
If you’ve already set some goals for the coming year, how about taking a moment to draw near to your Shepherd to give those goals to Him once more? And if the unknown facing you this year has you paralyzed, how about drawing near to whisper your fears and uncertainties to Jesus?
We may not know what the New Year holds, but we have a Shepherd who loved us enough to give His life for us. He will lead us forward.
This post is part of a series on the “I am” statements of Jesus. Here are other posts you may have missed:
When You Hope for More Light in Your Life – “I am the Light of the World”
When You Are Hungry for the Best Bread Ever – “I am the Bread of Life”
Hope for Christmas When You Got the Unexpected This Year – “I am the Resurrection and the Life”
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Betsy,
In my old age, I am becoming less of a planner and more of a follower…of God and HIS plan for my life. Like you, I like to take the beginning of January and just lean into Him as I regroup from all the blur that Christmas can become (though I am being more intentional about celebrating Advent). So thankful that I have a Shepherd who cares for me and it isn’t ALL up to me….in fact the more I let go, the better things go in general. Praying for you in your move and as you let Him lead you. He will go ahead and prepare a place for you.
Blessings,
Bev xx
Thanks so much for your encouragement, Bev. I really appreciate it. I wish we could sit down to a cup of coffee together, friend. I’d learn so much from you!
Happy New Year, Betsy! I like plans and goals, but I agree, we the most important thing is drawing close to God and following where he leads us. We can’t plan for everything that will lie ahead this year, but it is encouraging to know that he knows what the year holds and he walks with us. I have some goals for this year, but also a word for the year, which is “focus” and that’s the main thing for me- learning to focus more on God and what he is asking me to do. Hope you have a great 2018!
Happy New Year to you as well, Lesley! I like your word “focus.” If I had to choose one this year, it would be “loved.”
I love this Betsy! God has been tugging at my heart in a similar way. This year, my one word for 2018 is SEEK. But instead of seeking as in striving, I intend to seek more of Him. Have a wonderful time with family, and a blessed new year! And yes, I think I’ll be getting around to my goals in February too:)
I’m sure for you too, Kristine, the two week vacation from school has been SHORT! I saw a Priscilla Shirer quote the other day: “Instead of seeking God’s will, seek God Himself.” I liked it so much.
Love this, Betsy! Such good advice in taking the pressure off a goal-oriented mindset and slowly relaxing into the new year. After all, Jesus is the perfect personal assistant ever, and His fee can’t be beat;). With His help, my strategy for this new year started last month; a new and improved daily schedule. I’m all set!:)❤️
Ha! I never thought of Jesus as a personal assistant, but that’s a good one. (And we are also His personal assistants/servants.) Glad for your daily schedule. I’d love to hear about it! I need that myself.
I love goal setting and always have more plans than I do time to implement them all, but REALLY need to keep the Shepherd first and foremost in my planning, so this post is ideal for me at the beginning of a new year. I’m thankful for His leading and want to listen well, whether He’s got me on the move or telling me to “lie down” in those green pastures.
Amen! I’m going to try planning and goal-setting 12 weeks at a time this year, based on the idea of “The 12 Week Year,” a book I haven’t read yet, but would like to. But I’m aiming at simple goals and staying close to my Shepherd.
The older I get, the fewer plans I make. Maybe I’ve learned that most of them don’t come to fruition in the ways I would have guessed or hoped.
I don’t like being disappointed and frustrated.
Or maybe it’s just that God has proved Himself so faithful in the past that I believe that He has every detail firmly in hand.
I’m holding my hands open, expectantly. I’m with you, friend, in trusting that the Shepherd’s already figured out my 2018 story.
Bless you, friend, for always drawing us closer to Him and His Word.
Yes, I like your thoughts, Linda. I do like planning, but I try to hold on to my plans and goals loosely.
I love reading your words, friend. And I love even more how you listed your priorities and how you’re praying over them. I’m quieting things this Jan. in order to focus on Him. We’ll see where the Lord leads me… Happy New Year!
Happy New Year, Kristi! I’m spending a quiet day at home, finally, to pray over a few thoughts and goals. Simple ones.
I have a Good Shepherd with a good plan for me. Of all you said this will stick with me…
I’m glad, Betty. We have a Good Shepherd, indeed.
Betsy, I really like this post. I am a planner, but in recent years the way I plan has changed. It looks so different from year to year as well. This year, I only choose one word and I created one goal for myself. That’s it. Very different than in years past. I loved your focus on the Good Shepherd walking with us. I needed that reminder today!
Yes, I’ve chosen one year in the past too, Leslie, but this year I’m doing Ann Voskamp’s plan of one verb per month. She suggests a verb, and you personalize it. For January, it’s “Embrace_______.” I chose “Embrace smallness.”
Certainly…drawing closer to the Shepherd will allow any other goals/plans to become clearer and to fall into place. Looking forward to what you have to share in 2018! Am always encouraged here!
Thanks so much, Jennifer. I appreciate your reading my words here, friend!
I think my One Word choice would fit with your year as well, Betsy: Mystery. 🙂 But thankfully our year is only a mystery to us, and not to God. I trust he will guide you each step of the way this year as you will walk through many new things! He has already prepared the way for you and prepared you for his ways.
Amen, Lisa. I trust He will guide us both on the way He has prepared. And I love that word Mystery.
The older I get, the more God says, trust me for everything. I panic when I see dream big recommendations because my dreams aren’t very big. This year my one word, my goal for 2018, is to surrender to God in everything. Your post goes in my surrender file, to read when I need inspiration!
Wow, I love that “surrender” idea, Debbie. Yes, I think it’s better to dream small and simple and actually do something. 🙂 Rather than dream big and never get around to it!
I love that we can trust that Jesus is with us no matter what comes our way!
Amen, Heather!
How refreshing to realize I don’t have to have all the answers because He knows the way.
HUGS and Happy New Year blessings to you, my friend. I am so thankful for you. 🙂
Thank you, Lyli. I’m grateful for you and your faithful witness to God and His Word.
Just as I was getting overwhelmed by my plans and lack of plans I read this – and it was a breath of fresh air. This reminder that Jesus is my Good Shepherd, that He leads me and guides me to do what He desires – that is enough. It brings such rest to my heart! Thank you. 🙂
May the Lord encourage and guide you, Dani! He leads us from a place of rest and trust. <3