Hope for the Hurting
Why So Downcast, Oh My Soul?
“Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” Psalm 43:5 (NIV)
As a new year begins, you may be feeling very discouraged about life and your ability to achieve your potential. I am writing to those of you who have decided that it is not worth setting goals for 2022 because you can’t ever seem to reach the goals. Maybe it’s just too much effort to think about setting goals in the days of an ever-changing world. I understand first-hand the challenge of moving forward in our current situation. Nonetheless, I encourage you to take the time to analyze previous goals to determine what part of the process worked and didn’t work. Put your hope in God, who has plans to prosper you and give you a hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11)
Surely there are some goals you’ve set in the past that have worked well! What did you do differently than you did the times made a plan, and the plan failed? The Lord wants you to succeed. He wants to prosper you in all your ways.
Sometimes, our plans fail for a lack of counsel, just as Proverbs 15:22 says. “Plans fail for a lack of counsel, but with many advisors, they succeed.” Proverbs 15:22 (NIV)
Another set of eyes is always a good idea, and support is necessary for big and small endeavors. I’ve set goals in the past that seemed completely attainable and reasonable to me. I’ve been disappointed and discouraged when the plans didn’t pan out, and I was unable to reach the goal I’d set for myself. When discussing the failed plans with others, often someone would point out a critical flaw in my planning and thinking process. Had I only taken the time to seek godly counsel, I would have been able to adjust my plan and be successful.
The phrase ‘many advisors’ doesn’t mean you ask a dozen or more people for advice, but instead you should prudently ask two or three trusted godly advisors for their input. I’m not talking about the typical weight loss resolutions people make. I am more thinking about career moves, educational plans, geographic moves, etc. Wisdom says to seek feedback, prayers, and counsel to ensure you are setting goals that also line up with your gifting, your current season in life, and the directional path the Lord is setting before you.
Practically speaking, the best way to achieve a goal is to use the SMART formula. I will recap it for you. S stands for specific. Don’t set a general goal such as ‘I want to lose weight this year.’ The more specific you are, the easier it will be to achieve.
M is for measurable. How will you know the goal is reached? ‘I will lose X# of pounds by July 1, 2022’ is a measurable goal, evident by numbers on a scale.
A stands for achievable. Is losing weight achievable? Of course, it is!
R is for realistic. Is it realistic to lose 30 pounds in 6 mos? The answer is yes if you are diligent. Don’t set a goal of losing 100 pounds in 6 mos or 30 pounds in 2 mos, as it is not a healthy plan and, in all probability, not realistic.
T is the timing. When do you want to accomplish your goal? As indicated above, be realistic and be sure your goal is achievable if you consistently and diligently follow a set action plan.
Having a group of advisors who can continue being your prayer support team as you move forward in your plans is essential. Your enemy prowls around like a roaring lion, just waiting for the opportunity to distract you and get you off track from your goals.
To that point, if you get off-track, it’s ok to make ‘mid-course’ corrections. The purpose of setting goals isn’t to have them become a bondage to you but rather to encourage you along your path to success. If you find at some point the specifics you wrote are no longer realistic, make an adjustment.
Life happens, right? I had all kinds of plans made to achieve in 2020, and well-we all know those blew up. I made adjustments and set new goals that extended into 2021. While I reached some of them, life happened again and…I am having to readjust again and write them for 2022.
Does that make me a failure? By no means! I could get discouraged, but I am focusing on the positives, and all that has been able to be achieved, not what hasn’t happened. What about you? Are there things you tried to accomplish that didn’t happen? I encourage you to sit down over coffee with one advisor at a time (not a group meeting) and discuss your dreams, desires, hopes, and plans. Listen to their feedback and then set some SMART goals, ultimately setting you up for success.
