The Right Mindset to Achieve Your Goals

Since we are beginning this new year, people are always making resolutions about things they want to accomplish, and many times we always go back to the drawing board, so to speak, and begin laying out plans for things we want to accomplish. There may be some plans from 2010 that we are still carrying with us and that we need to keep working on during this coming year. There may also be new things we are pursuing, goals that lie ahead of us.

And something the Lord laid on my heart was the fact that, for us to be able to achieve those goals, everything depends on the way we think. We can set the most outlandish goals imaginable, but if we do not have the right mindset to accomplish them, we will never do so. And obviously, I was meditating on that passage in Romans, chapter 12, verse 2, which says that we have to change the way we think so that the way we live may also change.

‘…Be transformed, then, by the renewing of our understanding so that we may thus be transformed in our way of life…’

And every time we face a new year, we think about resolutions, and I was talking about four primary areas. I was talking about the personal level, and that has a great deal to do with our health. Many people say, ‘Well, this year I’m going to lose 30, 40, or 50 pounds,’ while there are some, like me, who might say that we would like to gain even just 5 or 10 pounds. I always try, but I can’t. Some people tell me, ‘Oh, Omar, give me that gift you have.’ But we keep going.

Another area concerns our family. Perhaps someone wants to be a better husband, a better wife, a better father, a better son, or a better daughter, and we set goals for ourselves on that level as well, and at the professional-vocational level. Someone wants to be either a better employer or a better employee, and one looks for a way to function in those different areas. And, of course, there is that dimension of our relationship with God—how we can always grow and improve in our relationship with God.

And that is why I was telling you this, my brothers and sisters: that we dare to believe God. Tell the person beside you once again, ‘Dare to believe.’ And why do I say, ‘Dare to believe’? That sounds as if we do not already believe, but you know what, my brothers and sisters? There are times when—well, obviously, I always speak to you from my heart, so today I am opening my heart to you as well. But I dare say that many times the different circumstances we go through in life somehow cut short our ability to believe, to trust that God can do something. And we have a tendency to take control of things ourselves because, since we see that God is taking a long time to do something, to work in some way, we want to intervene in our own way. And many times that kind of attitude can also cut short God’s plans.

Many times it can cut short the way God wants to work in the midst of our lives. And look, I want to direct you to a passage that is key for me. It is in John, chapter 14, if you can turn there with me. John, chapter 14, beginning with verse 12, says:

‘…Truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do. And he will do even greater works because I am going to the Father, and whatever you ask the Father in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son… —Verse 14 says:— …If you ask anything in my name, I will do it…’

How beautiful, right? These are key words for our Christian faith, for our certainty, our confidence in the Lord. Because obviously these are not words that come from any man; they are words that come from Jesus. It is a promise that comes from Jesus, and we place all our faith in those words.

And of course, my brothers and sisters, throughout my life I have seen moments when I have been able to see those words in action. And I am sure that all of us, in one way or another, have seen these words become a reality in our lives. We have asked God for something in Jesus’ name, and God, in his own way and manner, has done it. But I can also testify that I have had moments in my life when these words have disappeared, because I have asked, and asked, and asked, and nothing—nothing happens. And I do not believe it is because God does not want to; I believe there are many other circumstances in the world that prevent those things from taking place.

It may even be that I myself am asking in a way that is not right, and that is why God does not allow it. But what I want to emphasize today, my brothers and sisters, is that we can never stop believing in God. We can never stop believing in God—believing God, believing that he will take care of doing what has to be done in the midst of our lives.

I look across this room and imagine the series of soap operas unfolding in your lives. And mind you, I am not talking about the soap operas on Univision. I am talking about your own soap operas: how you struggle day after day with everything you do, how you deal with your happiness, your joys, and your victories, and how you also deal with your dilemmas and frustrations. And I imagine God at work in the midst of every one of those things. Situations suddenly arise that leave you thinking, ‘Wow, wait a minute—where did this come from? I wasn’t expecting this.’ And you have to face it and tackle it.

Or there are times when something arises and you become so frightened that you back away and say, ‘No, I’m not going to put my hands into that.’ But whatever the case may be, my brothers and sisters, we are talking about circumstances and situations that are right there in the pot with us, and sooner or later we will have to deal with them. They are situations that either strengthen our faith or weaken our faith. And it is up to us which of the two occurs.

Of course, if I look at those words we are reading, it is because we have the certainty that our faith can be strengthened in the Lord and that we must believe in whatever he wants to do among us, however he wants and whenever he wants. If I allow myself to be overly guided by that sense that my faith is weakening, then it is because I am taking my eyes off that promise the Lord has given us: that whatever we ask in his name, he will do.

Do you know why I say this, my brothers and sisters? I refer to this other passage from Hebrews, chapter 12, which was another passage I also used last night. Hebrews, chapter 12—many of us know it, but for the benefit of those who may not be very familiar with this passage, it is the one that says:

‘…Therefore, since we too are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, let us cast off every weight and the sin that besets us, and let us run with patience the race that lies before us… —What does it say next?— …fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of the faith, though I would say of our faith…’

I imagine that with each of the different resolutions and goals you are setting for yourself this new year, or those you are carrying over from 2010, you may face certain situations. And you can count on it: favorable circumstances will arise that will propel you toward accomplishing those things, but difficult circumstances will also arise that will leave you perplexed and unsure how to proceed. But in the midst of all those things, my brothers and sisters, if there is one thing I can tell you, it is to keep your eyes fixed on the Lord. Keep your eyes fixed on those promises God has given each one of us, promises that, according to what is right for our lives, the Lord takes care to fulfill at the proper time, in the proper way, in whatever way he considers best for you.

Look, perhaps the Lord may decide to do something with that gentleman back there in a different way from how he does it with this young man here in front. The way God works with me may be different from what he will also do with this girl here.

But, my brothers and sisters, amid all those things, what matters most is knowing that if God has made a promise, he will fulfill his side of the bargain—the deal, so to speak. He will take care of fulfilling it. What remains, then, is for us to dare to believe the Lord.

Look, you will remember this proverb from the book of Proverbs, chapter 3. I am only going to refer to some of these passages. Proverbs, chapter 3, verse 5—look at what it says:

‘…Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. Acknowledge him in all your ways, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and turn away from evil, for it will be medicine to your body and refreshment to your bones…’

When I read this proverb, it is key for me. As I face a new year, this is key for me. I can make many plans and easily leave God out of those plans. But what these words are telling me is that I must take that intentional step of acknowledging God in everything I do.

And you know what? I can say, ‘Okay, I’m going to write all my plans in this notebook,’ and then say, ‘Okay, Lord, what do you think about everything I wrote?’ As opposed to first saying, ‘Lord, what should I do in this new year?’ and then coming to the notebook and beginning to write under that inspiration.

And mind you, I am not saying that one is better than the other. I do not mean that, because I believe God also honors our being proactive, making our plans, and asking for God’s favor in them. But many times we must also learn to take that other route: to learn to seek something from God and to believe—look at how I am going to say this—to believe, to believe that God is able to give us revelation about what he wants to do in the midst of our lives.

And may we not only believe when God begins to show us those things, but may that belief also bring the sensitivity to respond affirmatively to whatever God stirs us to do. May we step outside our comfort zone a little, accept the challenges God brings into our lives, and accomplish that for which he is calling us.

And I will be honest with you, my brothers and sisters: many times we want to pull God into our plans and say, ‘No, Lord, this is what I want.’ And again, it is fine to say, ‘Lord, look, I want this,’ but even with that attitude, may we also be sensitive enough that if God says to us, ‘You want that, but what if we consider this?’ we will listen. Are you following where I am going with this?

Do you want to identify yourself as a true son or a true daughter of God? We can be one of two kinds of children: those who want to mold Dad to fit our plans, or the kind of child who, when Dad pulls us aside and says, ‘Let’s do this first,’ does it—not grudgingly, but with a sensitive, humble, willing, and obedient heart.

I do not know, my brothers and sisters, but I dare say—in fact, I will say it for myself—that if I dare to believe God that when he wants to do that in my life, things will go well, I am sure I will see great things.

In the same way, I dare say that if you dare to believe God when he begins to do that with you, you too will see great things. What I am saying may sound simple, my brothers and sisters, but I know it is not. No one likes being moved from one place to another. No one likes it. But if we understand that God is our Father—and perhaps some of us come from a background where the father figure is rather murky, so we sometimes resist that authority figure—then, if that is the situation, God wants all the more intentionally to take hold of us, move us, mold us, and discipline us so that we may then see what he wants to do in us.

So, my brothers and sisters, I know that I am usually a little more playful, but today is not the time to be playful. Because what I am saying carries weight; I am saying what I am saying with fear and trembling. Because I know that what I am saying is not at all easy to do, much less in the kind of society in which we live, where we are encouraged, motivated, and instructed to take control of our lives. What I am saying is that we should relinquish that control to God’s dealings with us.

And that is where this matter of daring to believe comes in: believing that whatever he wants to do in us is far better than anything we could do, far better than anything we could decide or imagine. Fantastic—make your plans, plan your life, be proactive, take action; please, do it. Do not just sit there waiting for God to do something. No, no, no—take action. Do the things you are doing or planning to do, acknowledge God in all your ways, and he will take care of making your paths straight.

That is what I mean by what I am saying. You acknowledge God in your way, and when he straightens it… imagine that action of straightening something. You have something that is completely bent and crooked—how painful the process of putting it all back in its proper place would be.

Look, there are times—I do not know whether you have noticed—but there are times when I hunch over and my back leans forward, and I know that can be dangerous for me. When I myself try to straighten up, I feel the pain in my vertebrae as they settle back into place; how much more painful would it be for someone else to do it for me, using the force needed to straighten me up.

That proverb sounds very beautiful: “Acknowledge him in all your ways, and he will make your paths straight.” That point about God is painful. But look, through that pain comes something new, something good, because then you feel more upright, more firmly grounded, so that you can face whatever may come.

So, my brothers and sisters, I want to leave you with this word tonight. Whatever goal or plans you may have, whatever challenges or difficulties may come into your life in this year 2011, look, dare to believe. Dare to believe, as the Lord Jesus says, that whatever you ask the Father in his name, he will do it. He may not do it on your timetable, but he will do it.

And acknowledge him in all your ways, and when you feel the pain of being pulled in a direction you had not expected, let go and allow the Lord to straighten you out.

Let us stand and pray. Father, I thank you, Lord Jesus, on this beautiful night, Lord Jesus. Every time we have the opportunity to expose ourselves to your word, every time we have the opportunity to hear, Lord, what you have for us, it is a privilege, God. I consider it a privilege. And Father, likewise, I have to acknowledge that what you ask of us is often not easy at all. Yes, you want to give us an abundant life, a blessed life, but it also has its painful processes.

So, Lord, I want to ask you for each of my brothers and sisters as they continue moving farther into this new year 2011. Lord, I do declare your covering; I declare your protection over their lives, Lord. Deliver them from all evil, Father; deliver them from all evil. Watch over their coming in and their going out, their lying down and their rising, Lord. But even after having said this, Lord, if those hard and difficult times should come, in whatever way they may manifest themselves, we do know that we cannot avoid difficulties, Lord. We can control everything that happens around us; we can try to take care of our health, but that does not prevent us from becoming ill at some point.

We can try to drive carefully, but deliver us, Lord; an accident can happen at any moment. We can strive to have strong and stable families, but that does not prevent moments of friction, anger, and irritation. But I do not want to focus on those negative things either, Lord; I also want to highlight all the blessings we are going to encounter. I also want to highlight those moments when we will see your hand moving with power, Lord, when we will see requests being granted, Lord. When we will see doors flung wide open, Lord, so that we have no other choice but to say, “Wow, Lord, this is definitely you moving here! You are the one who has given me the strength to produce this wealth, or to write all these things. It has not been the strength of my own hand, but you, Lord, who have done it.”

So, my God, I beg you, Father, that throughout the beginning of this year 2011, Lord, you foster in each of my brothers and sisters that sense of faith we all need, Lord, so that we dare to believe you when you say that you will take care of providing the things we need.

Lord, look, I dare to say that there will be people here who will have to make risky decisions. They will have to make decisions that they will never make if they allow themselves to be guided by what might happen. But Lord, they will have to make those decisions anyway. Some will have to change jobs, some will have to move to a different place, some will have to change their ways of thinking, and even conceiving of that idea is very difficult. But Lord, even amid those risks, I declare, Lord, that you will be there, that you will answer the prayers of your sons and daughters, Lord, and that you will not let them be put to shame, Lord Jesus.

Father, whatever the situation may be, Lord—from dealing with a difficult person in the workplace to dealing with a spouse or a new person we may meet—Lord, I ask you for grace, for discernment, Lord, in our words. Help us dare to believe you, Lord, that you can instill in our minds that grace to know how to speak, so that we are not so quick to judge others, Lord, but instead know how to see people as you see them first, Lord.

Oh God, look, help us to emphasize this teaching you give us: that before removing the little speck another person may have in their eye, we may always first remove the beams we have in our own eyes so that we can see better, Lord.

Father, I bless your sons and daughters, Lord, tonight. I bless them, Father. I declare your blessing over them, over their families, over everything they do, and over everything they possess, Lord. I cancel every work of the enemy, Lord, that tries to destroy what you are doing in their lives, Lord. I cancel it in your name, and I declare that all things will work together for good, Lord, for all those who love you, Lord, and I know that there is a very large group of people here who love you, Lord.

Whatever means you wish to use to get our attention and straighten our paths, help us to have that sensitivity of spirit and heart so that we can obey you and respond in the way you want us to respond. We give you all the glory and all the honor, Lord. Bring us safely to our homes; bless us, Lord. Give us peaceful, restorative sleep, my God, to renew our bodies’ energy, and tomorrow, if you so permit, Lord, may we take hold of one more day and accomplish the things within our reach. And if you give us the opportunity to do something more for another person, Lord, look, may our reach not be limited or shortened, but may we extend our hands and serve those around us.

We bless your name tonight, Lord, in the name of Jesus. Amen.