When thinking about habits, joy and living unburdened, I think of a few people who have walked this path and taught us along the way. I’m so thrilled that one of these people, Nicki Koziarz, has agreed to let me share some of her wise words on this subject as our guest today. I know you’ll love her thoughts as much as I did!
“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.” Proverbs 19:21 (NIV)
I have this little issue. My husband calls it a perspective issue. I’m sure a licensed counselor would call it something fancier.
Here’s the problem …
I pretty much think every craft project I want to work on will take about five minutes to complete and will cost around $5. I have great ideas! They come to me all day. And then I start to move forward with those ideas because, again, in my head it’s simple: 5 dollars, 5 minutes.
Most of the time my optimistic attitude is a great thing. But when the project becomes more than I originally thought, my perspective suddenly twists to one of “It’s impossible!” and I become a quitter.
Can you relate?
Maybe you had a dream in your heart. You started to pursue it and then … the kids, the marriage, the bills and a million other “the’s” got in the way. I believe people quit things every day without even realizing it. And then the days turn to weeks, weeks to months, months to years and then one day we look back and wonder if it’s too late.
But here’s why I love today’s verse in Proverbs 19:21, “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.” It reminds me God is still able to accomplish anything in my life, as long as I stay open to His movement.
There are things God wants to accomplish in and through your life. Plans that are still in place and waiting to prevail.
I wonder if God is prompting us to ask the question: What got in the way?
God doesn’t meet us at perfected completion; He meets us wherever we are in our process toward His promise. And sometimes in order to meet us, He needs to reveal the areas where we have allowed our perspective to get clouded.
The past few months I’ve been brushing off some things I quit. With God’s help, I’ve allowed my perspective to be changed, shifted and refined. And through this process I realized that even when my own efforts (or lack of efforts) fail, God’s efforts don’t.
I returned to a few passions, a few desires and a few purposes. All these years I’ve been asking God for “a new this” and “a new that” and it was as if He revealed to me I couldn’t get there until He found me faithful here. It’s like a fresh perspective within the same purpose.
Because what He’s already purposed for my life will still prevail.
I’m not a quitter.
And neither are you.
Just because it looked like it was over the first time, the second time or even the third time, doesn’t mean it’s finished. It just means something got in your way, but now you’re picking it back up.
When our tiniest efforts meet God’s supernatural grace, we begin to experience the blessing of God’s plans prevailing in our lives.[tweetthis]When our efforts meet God’s grace, we experience God’s plans @NickiKoziarz #Habits #FindingJoy[/tweetthis]
“Let us not become weary in doing good‚ for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9 (NIV)
Nicki Koziarz is a Proverbs 31 Ministries speaker and best-selling author of the book and Lifeway Bible study 5 Habits of a Woman Who Doesn’t Quit. She is wife to Kris, mom to three girls, Taylor, Hope and Kennedy and one slightly famous pug, Herman. Her family lives just outside Charlotte, NC where they own a farm affectionately called, The Fixer Upper Farm. You can find Nicki on Twitter, Instagram or her Websites: www.nickikoziarz.com and www.5habitsbook.com
© 2016 by Nicki Koziarz. All rights reserved. Portions of this post were originally used on Proverbs31.org.
Linking up with Brenda Ottinger at #ChasingCommunity and Holley Gerth at #CoffeeForYourHeart
This, a lovely perspective builder, adjuster. Sometimes we just need a bit of a nudge in the right direction, yes?
Blessings from your next door neighbor at Brenda’s …
Yes, and sometimes those nudges God gives us really open our eyes to His possibilities don’t they?
Such great advice! Thanks for sharing! It can often be so hard to discern between a no and a wait from God. I guess only time will tell… Blessings!
Great thoughts here! I have many unfinished projects around the house also. This gives me hope that it’s okay to pick it up again, and maybe again, before it gets finished. Granting grace to ourselves is just as important as granting it to others.
Amen Sarah!
Jill and Nicki, thanks for sharing your perspective today! I’m afraid that I have an opposite perspective that my observant husband labels as the Eeyore syndrome. Instead of picturing the project as 5 minutes and 5 dollars, I imagine 3 years and a second mortgage on the house. We need each other!
Yes, I’m sometimes a bit like you Michele-more procrastination than moving forward. Seasons change and in them all we need to listen for God’s plan! Thanks for stopping by!
Oooh, thanks for sharing that, Jill. I didn’t really feel like I “quit” things, so I haven’t had that book on my list, but these words you’ve shared are comforting for any heart. 🙂 Perhaps I need to put it on my list after all. 🙂 Thank you, 🙂 And, thanks for linking up with #ChasingCommunity today, friend. xoxo
You’re welcome Brenda and yes, these are great reminders for all of us!
I have definitely had dreams put in my heart that came back at the right time. I don’t like letting go of my plans, but I have to remember God’s plans and timing are best!
Yes, it’s that whole dying to self and living for Him thing which we all stumble upon isn’t it? Thanks Sarah for stopping by!
Dear Sisters in Christ, how strong we are when we share our struggles and angst with each other. I think our Heavenly Father claps His hands in joy when He sees and hears us lean into and support each other. Thank you for your transparency and empathy.
Thanks Alice! Let’s lean in and support each other!
What a difference our perspective can make! When we think we have to make it happen ourselves, it’s easy to want to give up on dreams, etc. But when we look to God, stay open to His leading, then He will accomplish His purposes in us! And that just might include some of those projects we’ve thrown aside. Thanks for such an encouraging post! I’m your neighbor at #FreshMarketFriday. Blessings to you both!