Jeremiah 29:11

Fulfilling God's Purposes

Jeremiah 29:11 tells us, "'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.'" Besides goal-setting, five steps are needed to fulfill His purposes.

First, maintain a cooperative spirit. Working well with others is a key to achieving our goals. We must set aside our pride and develop a servant-like spirit that willingly cooperates with others. Give-and-take is essential in relationships.

Second, exercise courage. God may ask us to work with difficult people, separate ourselves from certain situations, or take assignments that seem overwhelming. Each circumstance requires us to exercise courage and move forward.

The third way to fulfill His purposes is by demonstrating persistence. We must have a determined mind and tenacious spirit to overcome temptation, adversity, discouragement, or personal failure.

Fourth, we need to exhibit a controlled attitude. Having a Christ-centered, hopeful attitude is essential to success. When negative thoughts, doubts, and fears surface, turn to God and reflect on His all-encompassing love and good purposes. Don't allow pessimistic thoughts and emotions to overtake your mind.

Finally, consciously depend upon God. We must rely on Him for wisdom, guidance, and the spiritual training we need to carry out His plans. Self-reliance and independent action will lead us astray every time.

As the Lord's servants, we're to carry out His purposes and plans, not ours. Check that your goals line up with God's.