Godly Goals Give Me Hope to Endure

In Philippians 3:12 I read, “I have not yet reached my goal, and I am not perfect. But Christ has taken hold of me. So I keep on running and struggling to take hold of the prize." (CEV)

Yesterday I reviewed three reasons why I need to set goals. There are three more reasons why goal setting is so important that even Jesus set goals for himself.

Set goals because they give me hope to keep moving and endure. Job said, “What strength do I have left that I can go on hoping? What goal do I have that I would want to prolong my life?” (Job 6:11 GW). I need a goal to keep me going.

To motivate me, a goal doesn’t have to be big. For instance, if you needed surgery, your first goal in recovery could be to sit up in bed. Then I might work toward standing up and later walking down the hallway.

Those are small goals, but they’re all important. To get from where I am to where I want to be isn’t done in one big leap. It’s many small steps. A goal doesn’t have to be big to be important. Even small goals encourage me to carry on.

Set goals because they build my character. The greatest benefit to my life will not be my accomplishments but rather what happens inside me while I’m moving toward my goal.

God is more interested in my character than my accomplishments. While I’m working on my goal, God is working on me. He is building my character, because that’s what will last for eternity.

That’s why Paul said in Philippians 3:12, “I keep on running and struggling to take hold of the prize” (CEV). It takes energy, effort, and purpose to reach a goal, and the result is that I become more like Christ.

Set goals because good goals will be rewarded. Proverbs 11:27 says, “If your goals are good, you will be respected” (GNT). When I give my life to a good goal, it brings honor and builds a legacy on earth. But the real reward in setting good goals is going to come in eternity.

The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 9:25-26, “All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step” (NLT). Paul was a purpose driven goal setter. God wants me to be one, as well, so that I can win the prize he has prepared for me in heaven.

In summary, I have not yet reached my goal, and I am not perfect. But Christ has taken hold of me. So I keep on running and struggling to take hold of the prize. I set goals because: 1). They give me hope to keep moving and to endure. I need a goal to keep me going. To motivate me, a goal doesn’t have to be big. To get from where I am to where I want to be isn’t done in one big leap. It’s many small steps. A goal doesn’t have to be big to be important. Even small goals encourage me to carry on. 2). Set goals because they build my character. The greatest benefit to my life will not be my accomplishments but rather what happens inside me while I’m moving toward my goal. God is more interested in my character than my accomplishments. While I’m working on my goal, God is working on me. He is building my character. It takes energy, effort, and purpose to reach a goal, and the result is that I become more like Christ. 3). Set goals because good goals will be rewarded. When I give my life to a good goal, it brings honor and builds a legacy on earth. But the real reward in setting good goals is going to come in eternity. Paul was a purpose driven goal setter. God wants me to be one, as well, so that I can win the prize he has prepared for me in heaven.

Paul's goal was to know, be like Christ, and to be all Christ had in mind for him. This goal absorbed all of Paul's energy. This is a helpful example for me. I too should not let anything take my eyes off of my goal of knowing Christ. I must lay aside everything that is harmful and forsake anything that may distract me from being an effective Christ follower.