How to Achieve Spiritual Goals
Feb 04, 2026Summary
Have you ever set a spiritual goal so massive that you felt silly even trying to work towards it? Maybe you feel like Moses standing at the edge of the Red Sea, wondering how on earth you are going to take the next step. In this episode of the Arise, Women of God podcast, host Tamara K. Anderson and advisory board member Amy Johnson answer the critical question: How to achieve spiritual goals that are bigger than your own capacity.
We move from the vision of goals to the victory of goals by exploring the "Magnification Principle"—how God takes your "pony-sized" effort and turns it into "Clydesdale-sized" momentum. Amy shares a powerful story about winning a hairdryer that illustrates the biblical truth that "what you think about, you bring about." We also discuss how to yoke yourself to the Savior (who specializes in the impossible), why being "unequally yoked" with Him is actually your greatest advantage, and the touching story of how angels—both earthly and heavenly—carry us when we can't walk on our own. Plus, discover the "Light List" strategy to cast out the adversary when weariness sets in. Tune in to learn how to stop striving and start surrendering to the Light!
Episode Takeaways
- The Magnification Principle: Jesus acts as a magnifying glass. When you place your small, imperfect efforts in His hands, He magnifies them into something far greater than you could achieve on your own.
- Help Thou My Unbelief: Sometimes we don't need more faith; we just need help with our unbelief. Like the father in Mark 9, admitting "I'm too little for this" is the first step to receiving God's power.
- Unequally Yoked Advantage: Tamara describes feeling like a small pony yoked to a Clydesdale (Jesus). While we are unequally yoked in strength, that is the point—He carries the weight so we can move forward.
- The Light List: When the adversary attacks with weariness or doubt, don't focus on the darkness. Create a pre-planned "Light List" (e.g., singing, being outside, coloring) to immediately turn your focus back to God and invite angels in.
Resources
Ready to stop walking alone and start achieving your goals with heavenly support? Download our FREE Guide to Goal Setting. It includes the "Warrior Hacks" mentioned in this episode to help you stay yoked to Him. 👉 Download the Guide Here: https://www.womenwarriorsoflight.com/offers/WyaLn2gS/checkout
Need accountability? Check out our Women Warriors Accountability Group for free for two weeks! https://www.womenwarriorsoflight.com/join-now
Reflection Questions
- What is one "Red Sea" goal in your life right now where you need to stop looking back at the problem and start looking up at the solution?
- Do you have a "Light List"? What are 3 simple activities (like singing or walking) that immediately help you feel God's light when darkness creeps in?
- How does visualizing yourself yoked to a "Clydesdale" (Jesus) change how heavy your current burden feels?
- Who are the "angels" (friends, family, mentors) currently helping you walk down the stairs of life? Have you thanked them?
Transcript
Tamara K. Anderson
00:00:00.400 - 00:01:44.000
Have you ever set a goal so massive that you felt silly even trying to work towards it? Maybe you felt like Moses standing in front of the Red Sea wondering how on earth you were going to take the next step.
Today we are answering the question how to achieve spiritual goals.
And by the end of today's episode you will understand the magnification principle, how God takes your pony sized effort and turns it into Clydesdale size momentum.
We're also going to help you solve the pain of not feeling like you're enough by showing you how to yoke to the Savior who specializes in doing the impossible. Stay tuned.
Ordinary Women Extraordinary Faith When God calls, we say yes.The Arise Women of God Podcast
Hello and welcome to another episode of the Arise Women of God Podcast. I'm your host, Tamara K. Anderson, and joining me today is Amy Johnson from our Women warriors of Light Advisory Board.
We're moving from the vision of goals to the victory of goals today. First, we'll kick it off by the power of focus. What you think about, you bring about.
Second, we'll dive into being yoked with Jesus and why being unequally yoked with him is actually your greatest advantage. Third, we'll share a beautiful story about angel support and why you are never walking down the path of life alone.
And finally, we'll give you a light list, practical ways to cast out the adversary when you start to feel weary. But first we'll kick it off with the power of your thoughts.
Amy Johnson
00:01:44.160 - 00:03:19.490
I've been involved a lot with positive mental attitude stuff in my adult life. I was a director with Mary Kay.
I went to Paul Mitchell to school when I was an adult and, and both of those venues really taught how to set goals and think positively and but one of my very favorite things quotes by Mary Kay Ash that I've said over and over again in my life is what you think about you bring about.
And one time when I was at Paul Mitchell, which was after I had been a director with Mary Kay, we were all sitting around in this big group lecture and they were giving away door prizes and they were saving this hair dryer, the big kahuna, right? Because we're hair stylists. And I turned to the girl next to me, she was this cute 17 year old who was finishing up her schooling.
And I said, I'm going to win that hair dryer. And she's like whatever, shut up. And I was like, no, I'm serious. Mary Kay Ash used to say, you women are interesting.
She'd say, if we say we're going to choose three people to go out and be shot by our firing shot. You'd be like, oh, it's going to be me. I know it. I always get picked.
And she's like, but if I tell you you're going to win this car, you'll be like, I never get picked. It's not going to be me. There's no way. So I said to this girl, and she's just laughing next to me, I'm going to win. I'm going to win.
And everything that goes through, she's like, they didn't call your name. I'm like, no, I'm going to win that hair dryer. That's the thing I need. I have five children. I need that hairdryer.
I don't need to be buying my own expensive hairdryer. And sure enough, I won the hairdryer.
Tamara K. Anderson
00:03:19.490 - 00:04:06.870
It's about believing that you are chosen for the prize. But sometimes the prize is a massive mission that feels more like a burden. Have you ever felt that way?
When Moses stood at the edge of the sea, he had to look up and forward rather than back at his problems. If you aren't there yet, no worries. If you don't even have the desire to move forward, there's a first step for that, too.
We can ask God to plant the desire in our hearts. I found that sometimes he gives me something and I'm like, I am so not there yet. If. If he asks you to forgive someone, God, I'm not there yet.
Will you plant the desire in my heart? That's step one. Because once you desire it, it's easier to move forward, right?
Amy Johnson
00:04:07.430 - 00:05:02.600
There's a scripture that came to my mind when you said that, because to me, I don't know, for many of us, if it's the desire to believe so much. It may be. We may be at that point, but many of us that are looking for these answers, it's just to believe.
We think about the man who brings his child to the Savior and says, believest thou that this. And he says, yes, Lord, I believe. And then he stops and says, help thou my unbelief. And I think that for me is more what I need to do.
Oh, wow, this is massive. And I'm so little. How am I ever going to accomplish this impossible task?
And I think that it's that going to the Lord and saying, help thou my unbelief. You believe I can do it, or you wouldn't have told me to do it. Help me believe I can do it, too.
Tamara K. Anderson
00:05:02.920 - 00:05:29.140
The good news is we do not have to have perfect faith. We just have to have enough faith to yoke ourselves to Jesus Christ. I often feel like a really small pony yoked to a ginormous Clydesdale horse.
I am unequally yoked, but that is the whole point. Jesus carries the weight. And as Amy now shares, being in his space actually changes your size.
Amy Johnson
00:05:29.620 - 00:05:49.380
I know from experience, Jesus magnifies whatever he has. So when you said he's big and I'm little, I actually saw a magnifying glass. And now I'm not little anymore. Now I'm big because I'm magnified.
I'm magnified because I'm in His space and in his hands.
Tamara K. Anderson
00:05:50.030 - 00:06:05.070
God is so good to magnify our efforts, and he provides a support crew as well.
Here, Amy is going to share a beautiful story about her father that I think is one of the most beautiful images of how we can achieve hard things in this life.
Amy Johnson
00:06:05.309 - 00:07:46.770
The last few weeks of my dad's life, well, the last year, really, he has been having a hard time walking, but the last couple weeks, there was no way he was going up or down stairs, let alone a big bunch of stairs.
And my mom had her 80th birthday, so we all gathered, and my brother, it was at his house, and he said, I. I think we should do it downstairs in the basement, the gathering. And my. My sisters and my mom and I were all like, hmm, how are you going to get dad down those stairs? But the boys were pretty determined.
So I've got one on one side holding under an arm, and one on the other side holding under the arm, and then one in front of him. And my dad's, like, hanging onto his neck, right? And then the doctor is at the back holding onto his belt loop, right?
And they're helping him walk down this flight of stairs to the basement. And at a last moment, my sister, I believe, inspired, got in front of them and took a picture. And that's how I look at me with Jesus.
I feel like I can't walk downstairs by myself. I can't take a step forward by myself.
But he's going to put an angel here, an angel here, an angel here, an angel here, and then some angels are recording it in heaven. And then the. The really sweet thing about the photo is every single man in that photo is smiling and laughing.
And that's how I want to be remembered, is that even if I'm being literally carried by angels wherever I need to go next, that I'm doing it laughing and smiling. So I think it's really important to remember that even though the goal is hard, it's all good because you aren't strong enough.
But God's gonna send the help.
Tamara K. Anderson
00:07:47.650 - 00:08:08.760
We are simply not strong enough. But the good news is help is always on the way. We just have to ask for it. But what about when it gets dark?
When the adversary starts whispering in your mind, doubt and despair, or perhaps that you are failing. Amy is now going to share a light list strategy that works every single time.
Amy Johnson
00:08:08.920 - 00:09:46.410
When we are dealing with the adversary, he can be very wearying. And when you feel weary, it's harder to do what is needful sometimes.
And I'm an interesting case and maybe, maybe a lot of people have this, but I feel like it's interesting because he also settles into me physically. And so, like, I'll know if I'm starting to break down physically. It's a pretty good chance he's hammering me.
So when I deal with the adversary, I try really hard not to focus on the adversary. That's my first thing because I already told you what you think about, you bring about.
So I. I find that focusing on angels and on support from heaven and light is much more effective for me to than focusing on darkness and the adversary and demons and, and so I focus on the things of light and I actually pray for the angels of light and then I do things that will bring light to me. I actually have a list that God and I put together of when Amy's starting to feel down and dark, what does she need to do?
And my list has things like take care of other people, be outside, sing, pray, play the piano. Color I color. I have a list. And so I focus on light and angels and God and I turn my back on the adversary, literally.
Tamara K. Anderson
00:09:46.410 - 00:10:34.400
Achieving your goal is not about how hard you can push. It's about how much you can surrender to the light.
If you're ready to start your own light list and achieve those goals you have been too afraid to start, go download our free A Guide to Goal Setting for Christian Women. It features the amazing warrior hacks that we talked about today to help you stay yoked to him.
And for those of you who need angel support in a community setting, check out our accountability group on our Women warriors of Light website. We'll be sure to drop the link for both the guide and and our accountability group in the show notes below.
Remember, God does not give you a goal you can't achieve without his help. Go be magnified by him today. Arise. Do it God's way. God strong.
