“We plan the way we want to live, but only GOD makes us able to live it.” Proverbs 16:9 (MSG)

We all get to make our own plans about how we live our lives. But it’s only through God that we have the power and energy to actually make transformation happen.

The Message paraphrase of Proverbs 16:9 says, “We plan the way we want to live, but only GOD makes us able to live it.”

There are three things you need to reach your goals and change your life—and only God can provide them. 

You need God’s Spirit to empower you.
God’s Spirit can help you make changes you can’t make on your own. Change isn’t the result of willpower; it comes through God’s power. It’s not based on trying; it’s based on trusting.

Zechariah 4:6 says, “‘You will not succeed by your own strength or by your own power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD All-Powerful” (NCV).

You need God’s Word to guide you.
The Bible is the owner’s manual for life. The more you read it, study it, memorize it, and meditate on it, the more successful and fulfilled you’re going to be.

When Joshua was given the great dream of taking over the Promised Land—a goal that was going to take him the rest of his life to reach—God had these words for him: “This book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will achieve success” (Joshua 1:8 NASB).

You need God’s people to support you.
You will not be able to reach your goals on your own. It takes a team to fulfill a dream!

A crowd can’t support you, but a small group can. They know when you’re sick, when you’re having a tough time, and when you need a break. You can share your goals and your successes and failures, and they will rejoice with you and encourage you to keep going. You’re going to need that kind of support as you make the right kind of goals and pursue them wholeheartedly.

In the Message paraphrase, Ecclesiastes 4:12 says, “By yourself you’re unprotected. With a friend you can face the worst. Can you round up a third? A three-stranded rope isn’t easily snapped.”

You can make plans and set goals—but only God can give you the strength, direction, and support you need to live the life he’s called you to.