Commitment. Motivation. Self-discipline. Self-control. Patience.

Just like relationships, our goals take more than just a desire. The beginning will test you more in ways you never dreamed.

Mine is sharing God’s truths with others. That might be writing stories to inspire others or encouraging hearts around the table.

But there are times when I feel like calling it quits.

There are days when I’m tempted to throw my hands up in frustration and give in.

There are nights I go to bed convinced God chose the wrong person, and then wake up in the morning even more discouraged and confused.

There are obstacles that feel like dealbreakers, a circling of ideas that seem to go on forever, droughts that will seem unbearable, and resistance that easily lead to an undoing if I let them.

There are days when the devil is determined to get his way. And on those days, he is relentless in trying to rip this dream apart.

Maybe this sounds like days you’ve had too.

A couple months ago I decided to take my goals to the next level; I put a ring on it. This promise carries financial weight, responsibility, and accountability; I hired an assistant.

Making this commitment is one way that keeps me from throwing in the towel and giving up.

This helps me keep my pledge to God, grounded in faith and wholly non-negotiable.

If you don’t have a sense of commitment, your dream is very likely to fail. Make it a covenant that runs to the core of your being.

If giving up is an option in the back of your mind, you’re already there.

Step into your dream with a level of commitment that is unmistakable and undeterred.

You have to have faith that says, ‘no matter how hard it gets, I will not give in.’

No matter how great the obstacle, you can work it out.

No matter how tempted you are to quit, you can make this dream work.

You have to know in your heart that God will bring you through any hardship and trial the devil throws your way, if you just stay the course, and remain in God’s will.

Fear is the devil’s playground and he loves dragging us there with him. But no decision based on fear is ever the right choice.

A life of faith says if I step out and do the right thing, God’s blessing will follow.

Faith is believing that God is always in control. And that he always has your best interest in mind, even when things don’t work out as you might expect.

The blessings of living out this God-given dream are immense. There is nothing more satisfying than living in the call He’s placed in your heart. There is nothing more intimately rewarding than experiencing God’s hand in and through you.

Don’t miss out on God’s greatest blessing for your future. Seal your commitment and then watch the floodgates of blessing open wide.