Plans with Purpose: God’s Way to True Change

“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 I need to reach my goals and change my life—and only God can provide them. 

I need God’s Spirit to empower me.
God’s Spirit can help me make changes I can’t make on my 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).

I need God’s Word to guide me.
The Bible is the owner’s manual for life. The more I read it, study it, memorize it, and meditate on it, the more successful and fulfilled I'm 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).

I need God’s people to support me.
I will not be able to reach my goals on my own. It takes a team to fulfill a dream!

A crowd can’t support me, but a small group can. They know when I'm sick, when I'm having a tough time, and when I need a break. I can share my goals and my successes and failures, and they will rejoice with me and encourage me to keep going. I'm going to need that kind of support as I 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.”

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

In summary: 

True and lasting transformation requires more than good intentions or personal effort—it needs God’s involvement. Proverbs 16:9 reminds me that while I can make plans for my life, only God gives me the ability to live them out. To reach my goals and experience real change, I need three essential things from God: His Spirit to empower me beyond my own strength, His Word to guide me with truth and direction, and His people to support me with encouragement and accountability. On my own, I’ll fall short, but with God’s power, guidance, and a spiritual community, I can walk the path He has planned for me and fulfill His purpose for my life.