Good morning! Today I want to check-in with you and see how you’re doing on your goals. Have you made progress? Are you moving in the right direction? How far have you come to reaching your goals? Or, have you completely forgotten about them?

I watch a lot of people set their goals based on some sort of “measuring stick.” They set their imaginary benchmarks in comparison to other people, the media or even pride. And when you set goals in that way, you set yourself up to fail!

Not only that, but it puts the focus on an area in your life where you have lingering hurt or unforgiveness. You are setting a goal or a plan for your life, based on past hurt! And not only do you hang on to it, but now you are planning your life around it.

Let’s face it, the “roots” of your goals can spring from a variety of sources… including your past. And that’s why I always consult the ultimate guide – the Bible! A good place to start is with a series of passages in Proverbs, listing things God hates… and one is definitely worth mentioning 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 Bob over there!”

And that, my friend, is walking with a 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 the basis of your motives, you should have no problem asking God what He thinks. Ask Him to reveal wicked plans or intentions in you. Ask Him to reveal the motivation behind your goals. Ask Him to actually give you goals and a plan to follow to reach those goals! (He WILL do that and I promise, you’ll be amazed!)

If you want to find true spiritual success, beyond anything you ever imagined, take your plans to God first! Because any plan 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 the remaining months of this year. Leave your comments for me below – I can’t wait to hear what you have to say about today’s message!

Then, please join us today for our weekly Spiritual Equipping episode of The Dani Johnson Show, where you will find spiritual inspiration and insights for your daily life. You can find the show on your TV and radio and please remember you can always stream today’s show right here on our website.

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In great faith,

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