Honoring God With Our Goals

What is your focus for 2024? 

What we focus on expands.

As Christians, we know we’re supposed to focus on God, but what does that look like? 

The Christian faith is a course of lifelong perseverance with full concentration on Jesus. It’s not a competition; everyone who completes the course wins.  

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” (Hebrews 12: 1-3, NIV)

Our time on earth is a life-long marathon. Jesus is our Prize. 

In the Bible, we find illustrations of God’s purposes for His followers. I love how definitive each purpose is. 

In a letter to the church in Colossae, Paul sent a specific message to a man named Archippus. Paul reminded him to make sure he completed the work the Lord gave him. (Colossians 4:17)

Paul understood his personal calling from God. He was to preach the gospel to the Gentiles. He never veered from that mission. 

King David served God’s purpose in his generation. (Acts 13:36) 

Mary, mother of Jesus, surely knew the purpose God had for her. She humbled herself as a servant, accepting God’s plan for her life.   

At the end of life, how fulfilling it would be to know you’d completed His purpose in your generation.  

Having purpose doesn’t necessarily mean one job or one ministry for life. It means going in the direction God leads you at any given time. He has graciously gifted us with His Holy Spirit to guide us.  

How can we discover our specific purpose and set goals to live it out? 

When we take time to pray and really listen, He will nudge us onto our course. The first time I heard a specific direction for my life was in college. It was time to choose a major and I had angst over not identifying it. I prayed all night through fitful sleep. In the morning I knew for certain I was to go into Early Childhood Education. It was great to know He’d actually speak to me. For years after I graduated, it was crystal clear that I’d chosen the right path. My faith was emboldened and I set out on a good course with Him. 

In prayer, I like to spend extended time asking questions and listening to His reply. I especially enjoy doing this in January. I want to be clear on my priorities and focus. This time helps me come up with goals for the year. 

To set goals:  

• Ask Him for guidance.

• What does He want you to achieve? In what areas do you need to improve? 

• What tangible actions can you write in your calendar on specific days that will bring the change or improvement you seek? 

Make sure your personal goals are achievable. Don’t set yourself up for failure by unrealistic expectations. 

For instance, if you’re not a runner, don’t plan a long distance run. Instead, schedule a 5-K.  

Likewise, if you don’t read the Bible consistently, you may have a hard time reading through its entirety in one year. I would rather read, meditate on and apply a short portion of scripture than quit reading because I got behind on the plan. 

Remember we have an enemy, the devil, who wants to destroy us and our purpose. When we center our attention on Jesus, we impede his plan. 

“The story of your life is the story of the long and brutal assault on your heart by the one who knows what you could be and fears it.” John Eldredge

Every hard thing we encounter isn’t from the devil, but a lot of it is. We have to remember to keep rapt attention on Jesus when life is difficult. We may beg God to get us out of our trial, but it’s also important to ask Him what we can get out of it. 

God uses the trials and hardships in our lives to develop us spiritually. The most difficult seasons of my life have brought great depth in my walk with God. 

Where is your focus? I urge you to focus on the Lord first thing every morning. 

Lord, I give you my life today. Please direct me by the power of your Holy Spirit.  

I don’t have spectacular achievements or transformations to brag about, but for many years I’ve set my face like flint (Isaiah 50:7). I’m happy to say I’m on the right track, headed in the right direction. 

“If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world.”

C. S. Lewis