Many of us speak in generalities when it comes to stating objectives in life, such as “I want to go to heaven” or “I want to be a better student of the Bible.” These expressions, while admirable, are lacking any specific goals through which these purposes will be realized.
God has designated many purposes for the Christian to pursue in everyday life. Some examples are: we must seek the kingdom first (Matt. 6:33), we are to live holy every day (I Pet. 1:15-16), we must grow in grace and knowledge (II Pet. 3:18), and we must grow into the fullness of Christ (Eph. 4:11-16). These purposes are a must for us to embrace, but HOW we achieve them is dependent upon the goals we set for ourselves. Your goals should be tailored by you, for you, and most importantly, they need to be measurable to determine your individual progress.
In order to grow in our biblical knowledge we might set a goal of daily Bible reading for a set amount of time or a certain number of chapters. We could pick a future date by which time we will have completed a book or more. We may determine to attend all services of the congregation and become more involved in other activities with our family at Karns. Good goals have both the steps for accomplishing them as well as deadlines for completion.
Consider Paul’s goal-setting formula found in Phil. 3:12-14. Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. He acknowledged that achievement is a continual process and does not come quickly. You must keep your eyes on the goal. He refused to focus on the past and was excited about the challenges and prospects of the future. Paul never gave up or lost his desire to press on to the goal. Paul never doubted with God’s help he would receive the prize he sought.
To achieve any worthwhile goal we have to rely on God and believe that we will be successful. Positive thinking is a must. Paul said, in Rom. 8:31, If God be for us, who can be against us? We need to develop the healthy level of self-confidence Paul told the Philippians about in Phil. 4:13. I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. Let’s all resolve to set some spiritual growth goals for ourselves, write them down, pray about them, and then just do it. The time is now.
For the elders (Gregg Woodall)