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by Janine Mick Wills

Come on. Admit it. How many of your New Year’s resolutions are you keeping? I’m trying, but one missed day often slips into another until it’s time to start all over again (Thank the Lord for do-overs?).

Not keeping resolutions is even easier for us writers, who generally work independently and set our own goals and deadlines. There’s no one standing over our shoulder holding us accountable, so we slack off here and there until those resolutions are as dry as last year’s Christmas tree.

But I know Someone Who can help. God! God is the ultimate goal-setter and a perfect role model for us to emulate.

What better role model can we have than God?

 

I know. I can see you scratching your head. How can knowing God as the ultimate goal-setter help your writing? Well, doesn’t a good story start with In the beginning and end with a great closer (Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus)? And there’s a lot that goes on between those two points. So, please indulge my spiritual imagination and see how God set and executed His goals. He’s a perfect role model for us to emulate.

Before this ol’ world came to be, God had a plan. Jesus Christ would die for sinners (1 Peter 1:20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world). Galatians 4:4 states that when time was perfect (“the fulness of the time was come”), God sent Jesus to be born of a virgin. Everything had to fit perfectly to fulfill the over 300 Old Testament prophecies concerning Christ (This site lists 353 of these prophecies). No detail was too big or too small for God.

God also had a tremendous amount of patience, which we all need when setting and achieving our goals. His plan didn’t happen overnight. In fact, it’s estimated 4,000 years took place between the formation of the earth to the birth of Christ. And we get discouraged when we can’t drop ten pounds in two weeks!

Plus, we don’t see God wringing His hands when the path from Point A to Point C didn’t go through Point B. He just planned a different way.

Let’s take the life of Joseph as one example of how God’s plan was accomplished.

Joseph was a great example of how God accomplished His plan.

Joseph was a happy carpenter, planning his nuptials to the fair Mary. In the Jewish economy, after a young man asked for a young lady’s hand in marriage (espoused), he built an extension onto his father’s house. Only when the father said things were ship-shape, could the young man take his bride (This is a beautiful picture of Christ coming back for us, His bride).

The Bible doesn’t say how Joseph found out his beloved Mary was pregnant. Did she tell him? Did she start to show? Did the town gossip spread the news?

However Joseph found out, Matthew 1:20 says he thought “on these things.” His game plan was not to embarrass Mary (vs. 19 not willing to make her a publick example) but instead to “put her away privily.” This shows his love for her and his outstanding character.

But what about poor Mary? What would happen if Joseph forsook her? She’d be an unwed mother with little or no options. What would happen to her child? Who would provide for them?

Was God worried? Not a chance. He sent an angel in a dream to convince Joseph to Mary marry (Sorry, I couldn’t help myself!).

Joseph probably planned to live the rest of his life in Galilee making furniture. But nope. Ol’ Caesar Augustus upset Joseph’s apple cart (Luke 2:1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed).

Joseph could have fussed and fumed, like many of us do when things don’t go as we plan them. He had a thriving business (The man who’d one day teach Jesus how to hammer a nail was the best around) and a VERY pregnant wife. Couldn’t he file a waiver and journey to Bethlehem (90 miles away) after the baby was born? No. Joseph was a law-abiding citizen and also a part of the plan God set in motion thousands of years before.

Joseph was part of the plan God set in motion thousands of years prior.

Joseph packed an overnight bag (OK, maybe it wasn’t an overnight bag, but I’m sure he made provisions for the trip), bundled up Mary, and headed for the city of David (Bethlehem).

Was it a coincidence that Joseph “was of the house and lineage of David” (vs. 4)? Nope, again. The book of Micah foretold that Christ, the ruler of Israel, would be born in Bethlehem some 700 years prior (Micah 5:2).

But this wasn’t where Joseph’s (thus God’s) problems ended (to say nothing of the “No Vacancy” sign in every inn in town). King Herod feared he might lose his golden crown, so he set his own plan in motion (This is an example of an ungodly goal!). He planned to kill his competition.

This could have ruined God’s plan. It’s kinda hard to provide a Savior for the world when there is no Savior.

But God worked around the “kinks.” He sent another angel (or the same one as before), who told Joseph to pack up again and “take the young child and his mother,” “flee to Egypt,” and stay an undetermined amount of time (Matthew 2:13 …and be thou there until I bring thee word).

I wonder if, only for a moment, Joseph thought:
#1, I’m not sure I want to sleep again. That’s when those angels come.
#2 Uh, God. You keep sending me farther south of Galilee, my hometown. Couldn’t we head back north instead? 

Joseph didn’t argue. He was obedient and fell right in line with God’s plan, and off to Egypt he and his little family went. But God’s goal was not for Jesus to minister to the Egyptians. Jesus was sent to “the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 15:24).

Joseph was obedient and fell in line with God’s plan.

And you guessed right. Later on, another angel appeared to Joseph in another dream. This time Joseph’s instructions were to pack up and head back to Galilee. But not just anywhere in Galilee. No. He, Mary, and Jesus were to reside in the city of Nazareth. Thus Jesus would fulfill the words spoken by the prophets, “He shall be called a Nazarene” (Matthew 2:23).

We don’t hear a lot about Joseph after that. We know Jesus was called the carpenter’s son during His earthly ministry (Matthew 13:55), and Joseph was not alive when Jesus died on the cross (Hence Jesus’ instruction for John to care for Mary in John 19:26). But what a part Joseph had in God’s plan for the Savior of the world!

There are excellent goal-setting lessons in this account:

• Make sure God is in the center of your goal setting. Pray and seek His wisdom and will for your life FIRST! Something King Herod didn’t do!
• Dream big. Is there anything bigger than the Savior of the world? Joel Osteen said, “God’s dream for your life is bigger than your own.” If you don’t need Him to accomplish your goals, those goals aren’t worth dreaming.
• Small dreams are important too. Small goals (also known as short-term goals) have their purpose. They’re easier to achieve, thus strengthening your goal-setting muscles for those big ones.
• There can be many steps between the inception of a goal and its completion. Be patient. Don’t skip any steps. Allow your goals to develop.
• Goals can take time to accomplish. Keep on going until you’ve climbed every mountain, forded every stream, followed every rainbow, till you find your dream (I love the Sound of Music).
• You don’t have to go it alone. You might need help from others to achieve your goals. Don’t be afraid to ask.
• Opposition from people, places, circumstance, or things may hinder the accomplishments of your goals. But follow God’s plan in God’s way, and you will succeed (Joshua 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall have good success).
• Be flexible and adjust your plans. You may need to reassess your goal-setting strategy. This means finding other ways to obtain your goals. If one door closes, look for another one that’s open.

  

Do you still need help keeping your New Years resolutions? Stayed tuned for my next blog post, “God, the Ultimate Goal-Setter” (Part 2) to read about God’s greatest ambition – Creation!