“Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil.” – Proverbs 4:27 (NLT)

Did you know that the road to success is not always a straight line, but many times a zigzag?

In other words, if you set a goal and think you are going to go directly from point A to point B, you are setting yourself up for disappointment. With any goal in life, there are always unforeseen obstacles and setbacks we must be prepared and equipped to handle.

Here are 3 things to keep in mind when it comes to accomplishing anything significant: 

1. Most things will take longer than you anticipated. 

2. Most things will be more difficult than you can imagine. 

3. Most things will cost more than you had expected. The cost is not always in dollars and cents. 

But in the end, if you are committed and submitted to the process, the sacrifice will be well worth it. So regardless of what the conditions are now, stick with God’s plan for your life. Don’t get sidetracked by the things you see. Stay the course!

“Figure out what will please Christ, and then do it.” – Ephesians 5:10 (The Message Bible) 

A life of destiny doesn’t just happen. No one arrives at greatness by accident. No sports team accidentally wins a championship. Success is intentional and made by a series of wise decisions and actions over time.

Where you are right now is a result of a series of past decisions. Likewise, where you will end up depends entirely on the choices you make from this moment forward. The choices you make today will have a positive or negative effect on your tomorrow.

So whether it’s building a relationship, a career, or a business, great accomplishments start with actions done intentionally. This is not a passive approach to life. It’s being committed to fulfilling your purpose and being the best you can be.

“This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.”– Deuteronomy 30:19 (NIV)

If you’re stuck and wondering how in the world you got where you are, the key to your freedom may be a sense of responsibility. If we don’t learn to take ownership of our decisions, or lack thereof, we’ll keep looking for a way to shift the blame or make excuses.

Growth and spiritual maturity is when you reach a point in your life where you fully understand what it means to take ownership of your actions and not target others for your own frustrations and failures.

When you blame others, you give up your power to change. Although you cannot go back and change the past, you can change your future by what you decide today. Taking responsibility for your life will empower you to change it.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths.” – Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust isn’t always easy to come by, but it’s one of the most important aspects of our relationship with God. When times are tough and things aren’t going our way, that’s when we find it the most difficult to trust God.

In life, there are going to be times when certain things are hidden from our understanding. That shouldn’t give us an excuse to quit, but rather an opportunity to deepen our faith and trust in God’s plan. Remember, His ways are always perfect, even when we do not fully understand them.

God’s plans for us go beyond what we can see or understand right now. Even when we can’t trace Him, we must learn to trust Him. Now is a good time to start trusting God with everything that concerns you. 

“And God is able to make all grace come in abundance to you, so that you may always have an abundance for every good work and act of charity.” – 2 Corinthians 9:8 (AMP, ABRV)

Vision always attracts provision. It is like a magnet that pulls in exactly what is needed to succeed. That means drawing the necessary people, favor, knowledge, or funding to fulfill the mission and further its impact.

Many times, God will put a vision in our hearts before He puts provision in our hands. The resources are available to accomplish what we need, yet they are usually hidden until we act on the vision.

There’s no need to worry or panic about the provision, as long as we are carrying out the vision God gave us. Through faith and patience, we can trust that everything we need will come to us in abundance.