Pursuing a vision greater than ourselves naturally places us in constant tension, and tension does not always feel good. It’s pretty much the equivalent of having neck and back pain all the time. But to be consumed by God and the vision placed in our hearts makes it a necessary thing to pursue daily.

So if tension is our reality and fulfilling the goal is necessary, how do we survive?

Grace.

Grace is a divine gift that comes directly from the Ultimate Grace-giver - God. For us to be able to be gracious to ourselves, we must first understand the grace God’s given us.

A Brief Breakdown of Grace:

We are all sinners (aka not perfect.)
Jesus is Holy, perfect, and innocent.
Because Jesus is our standard (the PERFECT standard) and we are imperfect beings, we will never ever ever ever be able to do anything worthy of “earning grace”.
But even though we don’t deserve it, God gives us grace to:
- Be saved
- Continually be sanctified (process of becoming Holy/more like Christ)

So why is this Christian-ese concept so important in pursuing God Goals?

Because the enemy will do anything to make you feel like you are unworthy, incapable, and inadequate. And it’s true!

We aren’t worthy, we aren’t capable, we aren’t adequate. Compared to Jesus, we’re total lame-o’s.

BUT BECAUSE OF JESUS, and only because of His grace, we are made worthy. we are made capable and we are made adequate.

So next time the enemy tries to hit you with the “hey, you aren’t good enough”

We say “well yeah, I never was to begin with. BUT BECAUSE OF MY GOD, I am made more than enough.”

Knowing this, we need to protect ourselves from any mindsets that can hold us back from fulfilling our goals.

Here’s three times to give yourself grace:

1. Grace of how far you’ve come

It’s easy to think you haven’t done anythiiiiing to work towards your goals. You can literally be the top in your workplace, 3 years into finishing your degree, 4 years faithfully serving a company, and still say to yourself “wow, I haven’t done anything towards this goal in my heart.”

“Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin”

Zechariah 4:10a (NLT)

You may be in the smallest of beginnings, so small that you don’t even see that you’ve started. But regardless of how small a step you’ve taken thus far, you have begun. Rejoice with God that He’s even placed something so precious in your heart, and be a good steward of the goal by praying and letting Him show you what is required of you in obedience in this tiny beginning.

2. Grace in where you are

It’s also easy to think you’re forever stuck with where you are. You look within and see God unveiling this huge vision, but you look around and you’re like.. how am I supposed to become a catalyst to change this generation if I’m stuck at school?

Look at some of the most influential people in the Bible. The time God revealed vision versus the circumstance of where they were seemed like completely different stories.

Abraham was supposedly the father to as many people as the sand and the stars, but had zero kids.
Joseph was supposed to be the king but ended up in the dungeon
Nehemiah was supposed to rebuild Jerusalem but was a cupbearer

So don’t take a look at where you are and count it as a loss, but know that you are in the best position of faith and firing. God grows real strong roots in this season, allow Him to do so relentlessly.

3. Grace in where you’re going

It’s also easy to psych yourself out of thinking that it’s not going to happen. That as you work daily towards this goal, what’s next is never going to come.

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NIV)
Know that even if God’s not on your timing, He’s on His timing. And even though it seems like the schedules aren’t matching up, one day it will all make perfect sense as to why the fulfillment of your goal didn’t come sooner, and it didn’t come later. Keep staying in the season where you’re called, and keep faithful to where you’re going.

It’s my prayer and hope that you take today to bask in God’s grace for you. It’s a beautiful gift to unwrap, and one that is essential in whatever season you are in walking in the Lord.

With Love,

Jo

Grace for your God Goals