Goals Stretch My Faith

In review of Matthew 9:29 it says, “According to your faith let it be done to you.”

Bottom Line:

Your faith has a lot to do with obtaining your goals.

What does this mean to me:

My faith in him is extremely important. God responds to this level of faith.

Today’s verse is the second part of verse that reflects what Jesus did for two blind men who asked Jesus to have mercy on them and their ultimate belief. “They went right into the house where he was staying, and Jesus asked them, “Do you believe I can make you see? ‘Yes, Lord,’ they told him, ‘we do.’” (Matt. 9:28-29, NLT). In this case their faith in believing what Jesus could do helped them achieve a goal.

As a Christian, when it comes to setting a goal it can be the same as saying, “I believe God wants me to do this by ‘such and such’ a date,” and therefore it becomes a statement of faith.

Goals can stretch my faith. First they affirm that I trust God, but they also become statements of how much I trust God. The second part of today’s verse says, “According to your faith let it be done to you” (Matthew 9:29b NLT).

Interestingly enough, not setting a goal actually becomes a goal by default. The default goal is to stay the same or to let others dictate the goal for you.

If someone was to ask me, “What's your goal for your health,” and I say, “I don't have one,” then my goal is to stay the same. When someone asks, “What's your goal in your relationships,” and I say, “I don't have one,” then my goal is for them not to get any better. If I’m asked, “What's my goal for my finances and debt elimination and I respond with, “I don't have one,” then my goal is to not change my situation. When I’m asked, “What's my goal for my business career, and I say, “I don't have one,” then my goal is to just drift along in this area.

This is why scripture encourages and teaches me to have goals. They are part of my spiritual discipline. They are a challenge of my our faith. They help to develop my character, and they help build my hope.

In thinking through this process, I think I may have be compartmentalizing my goals in the past. When it comes to goals for ministry and my spiritual life, I rely and count on God, however when it comes to some career and work goals I may be doing them on my own strength. Today I”ll also need to consider what area’s that I had not set any goals in and consider creating some.