Most of us know we’re supposed to set goals in life. We set goals about losing weight, making money, and even honoring God through our jobs. But what does the Bible say about goals? Let’s look at three powerful Scriptures on goal setting.
Scriptures on Goal Setting:
1. Your primary goal is to know Christ deeply.
God wants to direct our footsteps. He cares about our plans. But above our plans, he is most concerned with our hearts. He is calling us to pour our lives into knowing Christ more deeply. We find this truth here: “More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ” (Philippians 3:8 NASB).
2. Make up your mind to do everything for the glory of God.
You might be a cashier at the local grocery store, or you might be a CEO of a million-dollar industry. Either way, God is calling you to set a goal to do everything for his glory. We find this truth here: “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31 NIV).
3. Cast off sin and keep running.
We are called to cast off sin and run the race of faith with endurance. Make it your goal to honor God with your actions, words, and attitudes. Don’t give up. We find this encouragement here: “Let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith” (Hebrews 12:1-2 NASB).
Let’s talk about the specific goals we set in our lives. Goals like losing ten pounds or launching a new business. How can we make sure we are following God in these plans?
One way to stay in line with God is to be sure we don’t turn these specific goals into idols.
How to Tell Whether Your Goal Has Turned to an Idol:
Here are just a few indicators that the goal you’re chasing might just be an idol:
1. You think about it in an almost constant undercurrent of subconscious thought.
2. You sacrifice significant amounts of time with the people you love in your pursuit of your goal.
3. The people you love become disgruntled with the pursuit of your goal.
4. You begin to feel angry, anxious, or stressed when it seems it’s taking too long or you’re being hindered in some way.
5. You feel like your heart’s been torn in two when you encounter a major setback.
6. Your goal is mostly about you and makes little positive impact on the people in your life.
7. Your goal has very little to do with loving God or loving other people.
Scriptures on Goal Setting Without Idolization:
In the process of learning how to set goals in life, I’ve made idols of all sorts of goals. What starts as a God-given incentive to join him in what he is doing becomes a self-centered imperative to make much of my own life.
So what are we to do when we realize we’ve turned our goals into idols that are sucking the energy, spark, and focus from our lives?
Proverbs 16:3 reminds us to commit our ways to the Lord and let him establish our steps.
Proverbs 19:21 reminds us that we can make our plans, but God will determine our steps.
We are called to remember these words as we set goals. God asks us to hold our goals loosely.
Casting down idolatrous goals doesn’t mean we stop setting goals altogether. God is a God of order, organization, and kingdom purposes. Setting goals is healthy and reasonable. However, we are called to stay in step with God’s Spirit. Press close to him in a relationship, and your goals will flow from a heart of love. God will direct your steps.
This is an updated edition of a post originally published on Stacey Pardoe
Featured Image by Sixteen Miles Out on Unsplash
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