Almost There

At different stages of our lives, we find ourselves setting and pursuing goals.

Some goals are very significant, shaping the course of our lives and impacting others deeply, while some are more modest, serving as small steps toward personal growth or daily accomplishments.

 In any event, the journey towards achieving these goals, is filled with both challenges and opportunities for growth. 

On the road to the end of a project, or as we are approaching the accomplishment mark for a particular goal, if we are careful to notice, we would have encountered a number of unique lessons. These are experiences that, again, if we are mindful,  can deepen our faith and refine our characters. 

So today, we can think about and discuss ways in which the Bible can guide and encourage us through the process and some of the spiritual lessons we can learn.

1. Patience and  Perseverance

To achieve a goal, let’s say to lose weight, or to be successful in the development of your business or even on the job as you work for a company, it is important for us to be persistent. This is so, especially as we realize that it’s not just one or two months that we have to be consistent with the diet and exercise routine in order to lose this weight, but we might have to be consistent for an entire year.

When that reality hits you, and one day you decide ok I can miss a week of this routine because something came up, you run the risk of becoming complacent and losing the discipline that is needed to continue towards accomplishing the goal of losing this weight.

We forget that the doctor recommended that we exercise consistently in order to lose this weight and we fall right back into the bad eating habits and not doing anything to burn the calories.

Our priorities shift so easily sometimes. We get distracted so easily sometimes. We cause people to have us lose focus on our goals in order to fulfill their desires.

In all of this, we grow weary, not realizing many times that we are closer to the finish line than before we started. 

Scripture encourages us to continue on in faith. 

We focused on Galatians chapter 6 verse 9 yesterday, a key scripture to encourage us to press on.

Reading from the New International Version, NIV, it says: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

We can also look at 2 Thessalonians 3:13 “And as for you, brothers and sisters, never tire of doing what is good.”

Family, we can continue the discussion here about the importance of sticking to our goals, being persistent, maintaining the determination to reach that target.

What can be a driver or encouragement for us, is the end result. In the case of maintaining an exercise routine, we can look forward to better health, not having to take as many tablets, and perhaps even longer life.

And if you were pursuing a goal of being less grumpy and miserable (some of us need to start on this goal), or if you need to lessen the amount of time you spend wasting time and begin to focus more on building your business or pursuing academic qualifications, we can also write those targets down and list the rewards that will come when we would have accomplished these goals.

These are ambitious goals or targets, and it will not be easy. And all of the time, we have to remind ourselves that we may not get there as fast as we want to, but we can depend on God and His perfect timing, and keep at it.

2. Trusting in God’s Completion

We very often give up or fail just before we reach the end of the journey. Why? Because we get tired and we can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel, or we begin to feel that these hurdles along the way are too much.

 When we pass the 50% point, we can change our mindset to understanding that we are almost there. We are closer to the finish line that when we first began.

Here, we can be reassured by the word of God in Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

And also 1 Thessalonians 5:24 “The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.”

Then there is Psalm 138 verse 8: “The Lord will vindicate me; your love, Lord, endures forever— do not abandon the works of your hands.”

Family, the journey is not just about our efforts. God our Creator, Jesus our Shepherd and the Holy Spirit our Comforter, stand ready to help us through this journey of life. To provide guidance, covering, strength, encouragement, resources, whatever we need at any given point in time. 

But we have to do our part, work hard, be diligent, be honest, don’t give up. Remember, the ultimate completion of our goals is in God’s Hands. We can trust Him to finish what He started. He wants the best for us and has already provided the means by which we can obtain whatever we need to succeed in life.

3. Surrendering Control.

This is another big step on the journey. It is one which leads to all sorts of problems. In fact, if we don’t do this, it would ultimately lead to more bad than good. We may also know that this is the underlying cause of rocky relationships, including domestic violence - the need for power and control.

So as we are on the journey of trying to accomplish our goals, we can often become anxious and fearful of failure. 

In these moments, we must learn to surrender control to God. 

Proverbs 3:5-6, and there are certain scriptures that keep coming up in these exhortations. It may be for me and it may be for some of you as well to check ourselves and make some adjustments in our thought patterns and in our living.

We are encouraged to “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

An alternative scripture is taken from Jeremiah 17:7-8 ““But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.””

These scriptures encourage us to let go and let God. We are urged to release our grip on the outcome and rely on God’s wisdom and guidance.

#4. The Pruning.

We can go through some real rough times in this journey called life. When we think nothing else can happen worse than the last thing that happened, a hotter battle surely comes along.

So the analogy of pruning a tree may help somebody.  

Pruning a tree involves removing dead or damaged branches, cutting back overgrown branches, removing crossing or rubbing branches, thinning out dense areas, shaping the tree to make it more aesthetically pleasing. I’m no gardener but this makes sense to me.

So as trimming the branches of a tree is essential for maintaining the tree’s health, safety, and productivity, likewise, our pruning must result in a better me and a better you - wiser, stronger.

This is where we go through our trials and tribulations and come out like champions, because we use these challenges to help remove negative or unproductive aspects of our lives - our attitudes, behavior and actions. 

Most importantly, we develop a deeper connection with God.

In John 15:1-2, Jesus says ““I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.”

We can appreciate, very often in hindsight, when we look back on our story, that getting past 50% of a goal isn’t just about the destination. The closer we get to the goal, we have to learn the lessons, note the transformation that takes along the way and be able to use that for our betterment.

James 1:4 “Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

And Romans 5:3-4 “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”

We are almost there. Keep on keeping on. The journey, though it may be filled with potholes, can refine us, build in us qualities like patience, humility, and dependence on God. 

It is said that the process is as valuable as the goal. Let’s use the challenges to shape us into the people God intends us to be.

And #5. Faith Over Results

Remember Family, success is not merely about achieving our goals and through our own strength. We can only be truly successful in God and with His help. We have to rely on the Holy Spirit to guide and empower us. 

Here’s another point to ponder: Faith in God’s provision and timing is more important than the result itself. 

Zechariah 4:6 “So he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.”

So Family, we can conclude that the path to achieving 

a goal is significant. And we cannot underestimate the journey. It is critical ,that we learn the spiritual lessons - perseverance, trust, surrender, and faith. 

Today, we were granted a new lease on life. Let us journey on. We are almost there. We are nearing home. Jesus Christ is on His way back. His return is sooner than when we first believed.

Let us rely on God’s promises and trust in His guidance, and one day, we will see that it was worth it after all. 

Heaven at last. Heaven at last. We are almost there.

aub - 4 September 2024

www.zjoyvi.com