Most of us have a desire to make our lives better. We want to improve our health, finances or our walk with God. Unfortunately, we often lack consistency to make it happen.
Anyone can commit to a goal for a day, a week or even a month. But what happens when your efforts are tested? What happens when you face adversity? What happens when you don’t make any progress toward your goals, despite all your desires to achieve them?
“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” (Proverbs 19:21)
Whether you make New Year’s resolutions or not, you have two options when it comes to your goals: give them up or keep trying. It’s that simple.
And if you want to do the latter, it’s going to take intentionality and recognizing what makes you struggle with consistency. Let’s talk about how to set realistic goals and recognize what disrupts them so we can stick to them in the future.
Make Sure They’re Realistic
One reason many of us can’t stick to our goals is because we make them too big. We want to go “cold turkey” on all of our issues at the same time, or rush the timeline. But growth is often found in the little things, in the small tasks that contribute to the goal every day. Here are some examples of good, realistic goals to set:
- Having a daily quiet time.
- Memorizing ten verses in one month.
- Attending a Bible study consistently for a year.
- Serving a different ministry or person each week.
- Fasting from food or our escapes (doomscrolling, alcohol, news headlines) for 21 days.
The more specific we can be with our healthy habits, the more realistic success will be. But we also have to watch out for disruptions and distractions, especially when our goals are related to our walk with God.
Recognize What Disrupts Them
The enemy doesn’t want us to create healthy, consistent habits to grow our faith. He wants us distracted, discouraged and depressed. He wants an ineffective, stagnant believer — one that isn’t putting God first in their life. The enemy wants us to stay lukewarm.
“He shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and shall think to change the times and the law; and they shall be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time.” (Daniel 7:25)
Read that again: the enemy wants to wear out the saints. He wants to wear YOU out; he wants to wear ME out – all of us that are trying to live for God. To take our focus off our goals. To make it so that we don’t even have the energy to work on them.
But we don’t have to let him win. The power in us is greater than the enemy or any power in this world. Breakthrough is around the corner if we trust God.
And if we can recognize what often derails us from our goals, we can better prepare for the distractions. Some common disruptors we may experience while working to build consistency are:
- Fatigue
- Distractions
- Emotions
- Triggers
- Busyness
Whatever gets between you and time with God, that’s what the enemy will use to distract you.
Remember Your ‘Why’
There are reasons why you set goals (or want to set them). There is a “why” behind your desire. Remember your “why” as you push toward your goal every single day. The enemy will try to make you forget your “why,” so remind yourself often. Put up sticky notes throughout your house. Set a reminder on your phone. Have a friend call or text you with it daily.
“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.” (Proverbs 17:17)
Let’s all help each other set goals, stick to them and depend on God to see them through. I am praying for you all as you seek God’s will for your lives. May God bless and have favor on all of his children in 2026 and may we embrace his sanctifying work in our lives.
.webp)
Back to All Posts