Good morning! How are your New Year’s goals going so far? Maybe you’ve already started to make progress, already forgotten them or never made them to begin with!

As you enter a new year it brings up an interesting note I want to share with you about planning and goal setting. A lot of people set their goals and New Year’s resolutions based on some sort of “measuring stick.” Their imaginary benchmarks are set in comparison to other people, the media, pride or even peer pressure. And when you set goals like that, you are setting yourself up to fail!

More than that, it puts the focus on an area in your life where you still have hurt or unforgiveness. Believe it or not, if you are setting a goal or a plan for your life based on past hurt – that’s a sin! And not only are you hanging on to it, but now you are planning your life around it.

There is a series of passages in Proverbs listing things God hates. The one I want to make mention of here is, “A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that run rapidly to evil.” (Proverbs 6:18).

It’s important to look at passages like this because it is so easy to say, “Thank God that isn’t me! But boy, it sure sounds like Joe Schmo over there.”

And that my friend, is walking with the spirit of self-righteousness. The deal is, you and I are human. Everyone sins, everyone makes mistakes. When you get right down to it, your heart simply does have wickedness! Even worse, you can be deceived by that wickedness.

The biggest challenge is overcoming the deceit of that wickedness in your own heart. Maybe you don’t believe me… and that’s fine. You don’t have to prove anything to me. But if you truly want to know where your motives are coming from, you should have no problem asking God what He thinks. Ask Him to reveal wicked plans or intentions in yourself.

If you want to find true spiritual success beyond measure this year, take your plans to God first! Because any plan that is not of Him will set you up for pain and failure.

I’m not sure if today’s message encouraged or convicted you, but I hope you will use it to find greater success in 2015. Leave your comments for me below and make sure to Like and Share today’s message.

If you want to improve your spiritual health and gain more tips to attain promotions in 2015, join us today on The Dani Johnson Show at 12 pm ET or at 7 pm ET. You can tune into the show on either your TV or radio and please remember you can always stream today’s show right on our website.

In great faith,

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