Wholehearted: Setting Goals with God
- Lisa Lou
- 20 hours ago
- 4 min read
Why meaningful goals bring joy when they are aligned with God’s design
You were not meant to drift through life. You were meant to move toward something God has already placed in front of you.
When we look at the characteristics Dr. Henry Cloud outlines in The Law of Happiness, goal setting rises near the top. Research shows that people moving toward something meaningful experience greater fulfillment, because there is something life-giving about progress.
Scripture also affirms this principle. Proverbs 13:12 tells us, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but desire fulfilled is a tree of life.” When we drift through life without direction, our hearts grow weary.
Even small progress brings quiet satisfaction. My husband and I often say to each other, “Progress equals happiness,” even in the simplest of things, like checking off a to-do list.
Why is this? Because we were created to build, to cultivate, and to steward what God has placed before us.
But we must be careful.
As believers, we do not set goals for the act of achieving more. We pursue goals to align more fully with God’s purposes.
God has placed unique gifts and desires within each of us. Two people may share the same desire for a cause, but they express it in very different ways. One person may manage finances. Another may gather people. But both are working toward the same goal.
When we work against our design, discouragement follows. But when we understand how God has shaped us, we begin to pursue goals that fit both His calling and our wiring.
Each year, right after the New Year, my husband and I set aside time for what we call a “dream session.” We write down one-year, five-year, and long-term goals. Financial hopes, personal desires, and spiritual growth all go on paper.
Nothing is filtered at first. We simply write.
There is something revealing about that process. It brings to the surface what we are naturally drawn toward and what we believe will bring life and change into our world. Dreaming matters because it often reveals how God has wired us.
But then comes the most important part. We pray.
We bring everything before the Lord and ask, “What do You want?” Almost without fail, clarity begins to emerge. Some goals fall away. Others remain with a sense of peace. We begin to narrow our focus until we are left with what fits the season God has us in.
One of my most consistent prayers is simple: “Lord, do not let me desire anything that is not Your will.” Because if a goal belongs only to me, it will not satisfy.
John Piper writes that when we delight ourselves in the Lord, our desires begin to change. Prayer is not about persuading God to bless our plans. It is about aligning our hearts with His. That alignment changes how we pursue what is in front of us.
Dr. Cloud reminds us that meaningful goals rarely happen all at once. Large dreams can feel overwhelming if we try to take them in a single step. They require small, faithful movement over time. And while we take those small steps, we begin to realize joy is not found just at the finish line. It is discovered along the way. It is why you will often hear me say during good times and bad, “We are going to REJOICE in the journey!”
I see this played out in my own life. My spiritual gift of hospitality has me entertaining extensively throughout the year. I love the moment guests arrive, but I also love the preparation. Choosing the menu, setting the table, and lighting candles. I enjoy the journey just as much as the gathering itself.
God has wired me with a heart to entertain, and I feel closest to Him when I am doing what He has created me to do. To pursue meaningful goals, we must first learn to recognize how He has created us, including our likes and dislikes, our passions, and dreams.
The work that brings life to you may not look the same for someone else. That is not a flaw. It is His intentional design.
Each year, when my husband and I sit down at the table for our dream session, we spread out paper, write down what we hope for, and place it before God together. Something begins to change in that space. The room grows quiet. We sit with uncertainty, sometimes even a little frustration, as we talk and pray through what is in front of us.
We sense God leading, but we do not always see clearly where He is taking us. It is during this time I am reminded that He reveals His plans in His time, not mine. But as we wait on Him, something else is happening at that table. He is shaping our hearts so we learn to trust that He will make our path straight.
In our home, the table becomes an anchor where direction is formed in our lives, where we seek God together, and where we learn to live joyfully through the journey.
My invitation to you is simple: Pull up a chair. Dream. Write. Pray. Align your desires with His. Then take the next step.
No meaningful goal is accomplished without movement, and movement matters when it is surrendered. When our goals belong to Him first, they become places of joy instead of pressure to perform, and the work itself transforms into a place of worship.
Together with you,
Lisa Lou
If this encouraged you to take a step toward something God has already placed on your heart, share it with a friend who may need that same clarity. Invite her back to the table, where direction is formed one faithful step at a time.
