How to Cast a God-Breathed Vision for Your Life in 2022

Goal-setting can be stressful—am I right? Everyone is talking about them and expects you to have a few. If I’m honest, annual goal-setting hasn’t worked for me in the past because I’ve picked goals that sound good instead of choosing ones that have meaning for my actual life.

Goals help us zoom out, dream big, and remind us of what we want to accomplish. They also set the tone for your weeks and days by dictating the tasks that will add up to a completed goal.

The trouble is this—how do we know which goals to set? And no, copying your best friend’s list isn’t the best solution (sorry!).

The good news is there is a larger framework that can help us find big-picture clarity and inform our plans and goals. That larger framework is called a vision.

A God-breathed vision is the overarching purpose and direction of your life.

Think of a vision as the gutter guards at a bowling alley and your life as the ball. When the ball doesn’t go where you intended or expected (when does it ever?) the gutter guards keep the ball heading down the lane in the right direction. Without the guards, we might be prone to giving up on our goals when life goes awry and staying stuck in the gutter for far longer than we should. The vision reminds us where we’re headed and helps us adapt and adjust when our goals don’t pan out.

So while I haven’t given up on goals, I’m starting 2022 with a God-breathed vision. With a vision established, I’m equipped to set goals and tasks in line with my purpose and calling. If you’d like to do the same, I’ll show you how.

1. Pray and invite God into the process

We can dream up fantasy visions of our future, but if God isn’t dictating our vision, then we’re starting off in the wrong direction.

Begin by offering up words of gratitude to God. Where and how has he worked in your life this past year? Thank him for all the ways that he leads you and provides. Remembering how he has worked in your past will help you to trust him with the vision of your future.

Next, confess your places of sin that hinder total surrender to him. Sin can often cloud our judgment, so ask God to examine your heart and show you where you might be resistant to complete dependence on him.

As you move into the next steps, ask that God would inspire your thoughts and conform your desires to his. Affirm the truth that his plans for your life will always outshine whatever we may dream up apart from him.

2. Evaluate and reflect

Maya Angelou said, “If you don’t know where you’ve come from, you don’t know where you’re going,” and I believe she’s right. In each of the categories listed below, think about how satisfied you are in that area and what you might like to develop and change. Remember to pray as you evaluate and reflect!

1. Spirituality. This includes your faith community, your relationship with Jesus, and spiritual practices.
2. Family. Consider how you may want to grow or heal family relationships. What duties and roles within your family need attention?
3. Work. Think about where God is leading you in your work. Whether you’re a stay-at-home mom, academic, or corporate career person, God has a plan and purpose for your skills and talents.
4. Friendships. Maybe there’s a friend you haven’t heard from in a while that you’d like to contact. Consider how you’re tending to your friends and what rhythms or plans may deepen and enhance those relationships.
5. Leisure time. Our hobbies and side projects can reveal our interests and passions. Consider which activities you would like to invest more time and energy into this year.

3. Prioritize

After reflecting on these parts of your life (plus any others that I may not have mentioned), take a moment to look back over your notes. I don’t know about you, but when I start brainstorming, one dream inspires another and my long lists look lovely until I begin to consider that I only have 24 hours each day.

Invite God to show you his desire for you in each of these categories. What would he have you prioritize? Some good ideas may need to be shelved until next year or another season of life. Let the Holy Spirit bring to mind the activities that he would have you prioritize.

Circle the one or two ideas of greatest importance in each category.

4. Look for themes

List out the priorities you named in the previous step. Looking at them as a group, do you notice any unifying themes?

For example, if you notice that at work you want to prioritize relationships with your co-workers and in your faith community you’d like to join a Bible study group, the theme may be “invest in community.”

In another example, you may want to initiate more one-on-one time with your nephews and nieces and also finally sign-up to volunteer at the homeless shelter. The overarching theme may be “live generously.”

Other theme ideas include finding rest, learning continually, or cultivating simplicity.

Ask God if he has a word or Bible verse to help summarize this vision for your life.

5. Don’t forget

Once you’ve put in the work to identify priorities, notice a theme, and write down a word or verse, don’t stick it in a drawer to be forgotten. Keep a short reminder with you—on an index card in your wallet, on a post-it note you stick on your mirror, or a lock screen you’ll see every time you pick up your phone.

(If you like the lock screen idea, then be sure to keep scrolling because I have a freebie for you!)

Later, when you’re ready to set actionable goals and tasks, your vision will show you what matters for your unique circumstances and why. As the year marches on and ideas and plans compete for your time and attention, you can refer back to your God-breathed vision to remind you where you’re going and how to live in a way that honors your priorities.

Now it’s time to hear from you! Have you cast a vision for your life before? How might this process help you?

*Featured image by Anastasia Petrova on Unsplash