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Do you feel stuck? Are you feeling like you are unable to move to that place or work that you know God has called you to? If so, you are not alone. Many times, we try to move forward without letting go of our past and without letting go of the things that hold us back.

Moving forward could mean forgiving yourself and leaving those ill feelings behind, no matter how deeply you were wounded. Even if you were wounded by someone in your spiritual community of family and friends, forgive the situation and realize that it is over. It’s important to know when something has reached its end.

My brothers and sisters, it’s okay to get go and leave people behind! Even the apostle, Paul, had a situation where he had to dismiss himself from his close companion, Barnabas. The scripture says that they had a deep disagreement and had to part company (Acts 15: 36-40). Yes, things happen, even in the church. But like Paul, you must sometimes let go of “people-blockers” to keep moving and accomplish the mission. Press (on) toward the mark of the high calling, which is in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3: 14-15). Regardless of what you are called do, the freedom to accomplish it comes when you recognize what’s holding you back. Let it go!

“Letting go means to come to the realization that some people are a part of your history, but not a part of your destiny.” (S. Mariboli)

Faithfully,

Pastor R. Mario Howell

Last week, I introduced the topic of Mid-Year Spiritual Goal Check and how the scripture can help us to be on point with our goals. This week, I have a goal related question for you to ponder. Is it really okay for Christians to set goals? Before you respond, consider the following scripture. “Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” James 4:13-15 (ESV). 

Some use this scripture to suggest that the Bible teaches us to not set goals. Others point to passages like, “The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty” Proverbs 21:5 and suggest that goal setting is not only godly, but absolutely necessary if we are to do what God has called us to do.

How do we resolve what appears to be a contradiction in the scripture? Step one is to understand the difference between a goal and a plan. The Bible refers to goalsetting in several ways: “The call of God”, “The will of God”, etc. There are many examples of biblical goal-setters, like Noah, Joseph and Nehemiah. A goal is a desired result.  A plan is a set of steps leading to a goal. Both goals and plans are necessary to fulfill God’s call on our lives and purpose for our lives. The problem is not a contradiction in God’s Word, but a lack of a detailed plan needed to make the goal a reality!

A goal without a plan is only a dream! As you continue your Mid-year Spiritual Goal Check, keep your goals and detailed plans in sync with God’s awesome plan for your life according to Jeremiah 29: 11, and you will succeed.

Faithfully,

Pastor R. Mario Howell

It’s July already! Time for you to check-in with yourself to see how you are doing with those amazing goals that you set on January 1st. If you are like most of us, you set vague goals, like changing eating habits, improving your relationships, succeeding in business, exercising more, or even spending less. Some of us set vague spiritual goals like read my bible more, walk by faith, increase my giving, or trust God more. So how much progress have made in those various areas of concern?

Both secular and spiritual goals are noble; but without a targeted spiritual focus, it is unlikely that any of these goals will be achieved to a meaningful degree and result in the fulfillment that you are seeking. As believers, setting good spiritual goals should be our # 1 priority. Growing in our relationship with God and learning to be more like Jesus are of utmost importance. And secondly, we can use good Christian goal setting principles to achieve personal and professional goals that bring glory to God. The scripture can help us to be on point with our spiritual goals:

• Grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ 2 Peter 3:18
• Set kingdom focused goals Matthew 6: 33
• Recognize that God is in control of the outcome Proverb 16: 9
• Delight yourself in the Lord and your plans will align with His Psalm 37: 4

When you do your year-end goal check-in six months from now, you should be able to not only check off some basic goals achieved, but more so, some spiritual growth and achievements.

What an accomplishment!

Faithfully,

Pastor R. Mario Howell

God took the strength of a mountain
The majesty of a tree,
The warmth of a summer sun,
The calm of a quiet sea,
The generous soul of nature,
The comforting arm of night,
The wisdom of the ages,
The power of the eagle’s flight,
The joy of a morning in spring,
The faith of a mustard seed,
The patience of eternity,
The depth of a family need,
Then God combined these qualities,
When there was nothing more to add,
He knew His masterpiece was complete,
And so, He called it … Dad

Faithfully,

Pastor R. Mario Howell