Live On Purpose: Prothesis — God’s Plan, My Pursuit
It’s that time of year again—the gyms are packed, planners are flying off the shelves, and everyone’s declaring this is the year we finally get it together.
I’ll admit it—I’ve been there too. 😂
A new planner, new goals, new vision board… and about six weeks later, the planner is collecting dust somewhere between February’s laundry pile and a half-finished to-do list.
Can I get an amen?
Every January comes with that mix of excitement and pressure.
Why?
Because we want change. We want growth. We want the fresh start to stick this time.
But somewhere between “new year, new me” and “what day is it again?”—we start to lose momentum.
And maybe that’s where we’ve been doing it wrong.
Because if the last few years have taught me anything, it’s that lasting change doesn’t start with motivation—it starts with purpose.
It’s not about finding a perfect system; it’s about remembering why we do what we do.
When our purpose gets blurry, our habits fade. But when our purpose is clear, even the smallest steps become sacred.
Now, confession time.
I was one of those who made a New Year’s resolution—yep, lose weight.
I’m guilty and have the T-shirt to prove it. 😅 I’ve had more gym memberships than I can count—some seasons it worked, others not so much. If I’m being unfiltered here, I don’t exactly love working out. But every time I do, I feel like I’ve conquered the world, and I can see it on the scale!
So no, this isn’t a post about weight loss—but it is about something that’s been stirring in me these past few years.
I remember sitting in an interview years ago, working a regular day job, when someone asked, “So, what are your goals over the next five years?”
I froze.
The truth? That job wasn’t my goal—it was just how I was helping feed my family. My real dream has always been to live my life for Jesus and speak His Word to whoever will listen—through worship, songwriting, teaching, writing blogs, studies, and books. That’s what makes me come alive every morning. But, let’s be honest, I couldn’t exactly say that in a corporate interview or I probably wouldn’t have gotten the job. 😅
Still, that question stuck with me.
So let’s pause for a second—what’s your three-to-five-year plan?
If I were to answer that today, it would sound something like this:
Draw closer to the Lord every single day. To live and breathe His Word in everything I do.
Love my husband fiercely—and ask the Lord how to serve and love him better.
Love my children and grandchildren well and keep being an example of what it means to follow Christ—through both mountaintop and valley seasons.
Serve God wholeheartedly through ministry: worship, teaching, writing, and singing.
See Unveiled Living grow tenfold in reaching hearts—helping people fall in love with God’s Word, dig deep roots, and live free in how God wants us to truly live.
Okay, fine… lose a little more weight made the list too. 😂
But hey, I’m down 13 pounds over the past five months—so there’s hope for the hopeless!
Here’s what I’ve learned though: none of these goals—spiritual or physical—will ever happen without restructuring how I live. And I will admit, that’s not always easy but I am here to tell you, it’s totally possible because you know the saying: NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD!
THIS INVOLVES: My purpose. My priorities. My daily yeses and nos.
Because how I show up daily—on purpose—is what turns my dreams into reality.
And yes, it’s all the Lord. 100%.
But don’t forget something really important here—He’s the one who plants the vision in our hearts but we’re the ones who have to activate it.
The Word That Changed Everything
While I’ve been on this restructuring journey over the past several years—learning how to balance calling, family, ministry, everyday work life and even rest—the Lord dropped a word into my spirit that’s reshaped how I see everything:
PROTHESIS (πρόθεσις).
It’s a Greek word that means purpose—to set forth in advance.
That phrase grabbed me as I discovered it’s meaning found in Ephesian 1:11 and it says this:
“Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for He chose us in advance, and He makes everything work out according to His plan.” (NLT)
This scripture reveals the beautiful truth that God isn’t winging it or walking around in panic wondering what our purpose is. The truth is, before you ever took your first breath, He already placed your purpose—set it in motion, positioned it, arranged it with intention.
This is what I call ‘WOW’ God-revelation!
To live from prothesis means you’re not chasing something new; you’re aligning with what’s already been set forth. You’re not striving to make life happen—you’re walking in what God already prepared.
And that truth changes everything.
So What Does That Mean for Us Daily?
If God has already set things forth in advance, then our role isn’t to create purpose—it’s to walk in it.
How do we do that? It’s found in the everyday ordinary rhythms of our lives.
It’s in how we show up on a daily basis, how we pray, how we love, how we live, how we speak, what we say, what we don’t say, and how we steward the moments no one else sees.
Every “yes” and “no” either moves us in rhythm with His purpose or away from it.
That’s where habits come in.
I know - if you’re like me, I never really cared for that word because I’m a creative. I want to fly wherever the day wants to take me and daily habits can sometimes feel inhibiting and almost as if I were in a cage. Or so I thought for many years.
But let me be honest with you. As the Lord has stretched me—especially out of some very misconceived comfort zones—I’ve realized something that feels both simple and deeply freeing. The life God has purposed for us isn’t built through big, spiritual moments alone. It’s formed through the everyday habits of our real lives.
I’ve learned that habits are the small hinges that swing big doors. And let’s be real—how often do we ever think about door hinges? Never. 😂 But without those small, unseen hinges, the door can’t open or close at all. They’re what give the door its ability to function the way it was designed to.
And here’s the part that’s really changed how I see purpose. Those hinges don’t just represent spiritual habits like reading the Word, prayer, or worship. They also represent the ordinary, sometimes boring parts of life—making the bed, doing laundry, taking care of our homes, honoring our bodies, showing up with consistency and care in the everyday.
Those things matter to God. They aren’t separate from our purpose—they support it. Just like hinges allow a door to move the way it was created to, those daily, faithful rhythms—both spiritual and practical—are what align us with the purpose God already set before us.
Purpose isn’t hiding in the extraordinary. It’s built in the ordinary, one faithful habit at a time.
What happens when we activate healthy habits?
They create space for the Lord to shape us.
That’s what I’ve come to realize in this season of my life—living on purpose requires living with rhythm. Not from a place of feeling rushed or pressured (which has to be learned as well). But in step with the Holy Spirit.
“Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.”
— Galatians 5:25 (NLT)
You see, you can’t separate faith from faithfulness.
The way we live our days is the way we live our purpose.
And if I’m being real, I’ve always had a measure of good discipline in my life. But God began showing me the frayed edges of my daily habits a few years back—especially in how I pursued Him.
I read the Word… but not always first.
I prayed… but sometimes from a place of fatigue more than faith.
And I realized—something needed to shift.
That’s when the Lord began teaching me what I now call Holy Habits—small, consistent choices that align your heart with His will. It was the training ground of learning steady obedience.
And let me say this clearly—holy habits aren’t just “Christian” habits.
They’re also the everyday, real-life things we don’t usually connect to purpose. Like, making the bed. Folding the laundry instead of letting it sit in a basket for two weeks while you keep pulling clean clothes out of it like it’s a perfectly acceptable system. 😄
Yes—some weeks life gets busy. I totally get that. But over the past few years, I’ve made it a focus to be more intentional with those small, practical rhythms that I never quite connected the dots with because these holy habits are what creates space. And even small amounts of chaos have a way of quietly draining us.
Here’s what I’ve learned and am continually learning—they all help each other.
The discipline of making the bed teaches you how to show up and read the Bible.
The habit of folding the laundry trains your heart in consistency.
It’s the same muscle.
When you practice faithfulness in ordinary things, it carries over into your spiritual life. You don’t suddenly become disciplined in the Word because of one big moment—you grow into it by learning how to show up daily, even when you don’t feel like it.
That’s how it works.
Small obedience builds spiritual strength.
Everyday habits reinforce holy ones.
And before you know it, your life starts lining up with the purpose God already set before you—one simple, faithful choice at a time.
And friend… it’s changes everything.
My spiritual life has more focus.
My time feels more intentional.
And yes—even my laundry pile is finally under control (don’t act like that’s not a miracle 😂).
So as we step into 2026, we’re going to talk a lot about what it looks like to build habits that heal, anchor, and sustain us. Habits that don’t just support our faith—but actually shape the life God has already prepared.
And I promise you this—it’s not only going to be life-giving.
It’s going to be fun.
What’s Coming Next
As we step into 2026, we’re not just talking about purpose—we’re learning how to actually live it without losing our minds in the process.
Starting next Monday, we’re kicking off a brand-new series here on Unfiltered Faith:
Holy Habits: Building a Life on Purpose
This isn’t about adding more “shoulds” to your life or suddenly becoming a spiritual overachiever. Nobody’s asking you to wake up at 5 a.m., drink green juice, and journal for three hours (unless that’s your thing—no judgment 😄).
This series is about the small, everyday habits that quietly shape who we’re becoming. The ones that keep us grounded when life feels chaotic. The habits that help us stop drifting and start living with intention. The kind that don’t look impressive on Instagram—but actually change your life.
We’re going to talk about real stuff—showing up when motivation is nowhere to be found, learning how faithfulness in the ordinary leads to clarity in the bigger picture, and why purpose usually unfolds somewhere between making the bed and folding the laundry.
And here’s the fun part…
Every Wednesday on Heart Talk, we’ll take each week’s holy habit even deeper. Same message. Same heartbeat. Just more space to unpack it, laugh about it, and figure out how this actually works in real life.
Think of it like this: Unfiltered Faith opens the conversation—and Heart Talk sits down with a cup of coffee and says, “Okay… now let’s be honest.”
So whether you read, listen, or do both—you’re in.
One Last Thing Before You Go (I’m Chatty Kathy Today) LOL!
Friend, I really believe 2026 is a year to Live On Purpose—not by striving harder (been there), but by aligning deeper. By letting the Holy Spirit shape our days, our rhythms, and our habits around what He’s already planned.
No more drifting.
No more waiting for “someday.”
We’ve been chosen on purpose for His purpose—and now it’s time to walk it out in everyday life.
So stay close.
Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss next Monday’s kickoff of Holy Habits: Building a Life of Purpose—because this is where learning to live Prothesis actually begins.
And if you know someone who’s craving more steadiness in their faith, more clarity in their calling, or just needs the reminder that God still has a plan—share this with them.
Let’s live 2026 together.
God’s plan. My pursuit.
Now go fill that coffee cup (or whatever your favorite is), and get ready—because this year, we’re not just dreaming about it.
We’re living it.
On purpose.
See you this Wednesday on Heart Talk with Tracee Podcast!!
Let's go!!!
Love it!