If God has a plan for your life, then it is only natural that you create one for yourself as well. You must piggyback on His divine blueprint to plan your life’s journey.
Ask yourself: do you have a plan to advance your career or expand your income streams? If you are a parent, have you mapped out a plan for your children’s future?
Most people simply go along with the government’s available options for their children —whether it’s schools, daycare or extracurriculars. While those options may suffice, imagine taking it a step further. Start with your own vision for your children and determine which of those available options align with your plan. This approach moves you from the ordinary level to the extraordinary.
What about who you are? Do you have a plan for your personal growth, character, and your image? Do you have a plan for who you want to become? What kind of impact do you want to make in your family, community or workplace?
Many people shape their actions around gaining approval from their spouses, parents, bosses, or pastors. Often, this is tied to what they hope to receive: praise, financial rewards, promotions, or titles. While seeking these things isn’t inherently wrong, it becomes a problem when it becomes a perpetual habit or a sole motivator.
When I engage in activities I genuinely enjoy and find value in, I am more likely to remain consistent—even when people disappoint me.
Whose approval matters to you most? Is it God’s approval? Or is it others who depend on you and look up to you?
For me, I want my children to be proud of me. I consciously work hard at this goal. I want to be present for them. I want to guide them and provide for them. So, I position myself intentionally on how I present myself to them, whether they understand my actions or not.
In my career, while money is undeniably a key motivator, I apply myself to be excellent and to over deliver on expected results. Things don’t always go perfectly, but I do try. Before getting into a new role or contract, I negotiate to ensure my compensation meets my expectations. With the pay talks behind me, I focus on maintaining my reputation and delivering value – not just for my employer, but for myself. So, while working for someone, I am also working for myself. This is how I hold myself accountable. As they evaluate my work, I also evaluate myself. This mindset is important because, without self-assessment, we risk missing opportunities for growth, improvement, and reflection on our true motivations.
If we don’t evaluate ourselves, we will overlook areas needing improvement or areas where we have excelled in. We miss out on opportunities for growth and promotions. We may also find ourselves doing the right things but for the wrong reasons.
The necessity of periodic assessments cannot be underestimated.
The thing is this, with regular assessments, we gain clarity, we can respond to challenges in a timely fashion and focus our energy on things that truly matter.
Evaluations will not always happen in structured, professional settings. It will not always be in a courteous manner or even given in a cordial environment.
The reality is that we get evaluated all the time- whether we know it or not, whether we want it or not.
Jesus Himself acknowledged the reality of being evaluated. He asked His disciples, “Who do men say I am?” This question showed that He was aware that people had opinions of Him. And in His nature, He demonstrated to His disciples and to us that he had to deal with the opinion of others, whether these opinions were right or wrong. His disciples were also going to be evaluated by people they know and don’t know. How they dealt with such opinions would shape their general views of life and consequently their actions and reactions.
On another occasion, Peter said to Jesus, “Do you not care that we perish?” Peter was agitated and concerned about the relaxed nature of God in a stormy situation. In that moment, Jesus was being evaluated.
Think about Gideon. When the Angel of God approached him, Gideon was addressed according to the evaluation he received from Heaven as a man of valour. He didn’t know when and on what grounds he was evaluated by God.
These examples remind us that evaluations happen at all levels and all the time—by others, by ourselves, and even by God.
We have got to be mindful of this and this should prompt us to work towards being our better selves.
How you respond to evaluations—whether they come from yourself, others, or Heaven—matters. Let these assessments drive you to:
- Pursue opportunities for growth and improvement.
- Let go of habits or circumstances that sabotage your potential.
- Align your actions with your goals and values.
Ultimately, evaluation is not about perfection—it’s about progress. It’s about understanding where you are, where you’re headed, and how you can align more closely with God’s purpose for your life.
Live with intention. Evaluate with purpose. Thrive in alignment with His plan.