Reaching our goals

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“Let us lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us” Hebrews 12:1 (NRSV)

Goal setting is commendable, but as followers of Christ our goals and the way we achieve them must be informed by our faith. We all aspire to change, to reach forward and upward to something better, hopeful and healthy. But we dare not do it alone. We ought not to fall back into old habits of self-striving and self-determination. Goal setting without Christ is humanistic, whereby we depend on our strength and wisdom, which is weak and limited.

We can however, do all things and reach our God-honouring goals as we submit our endeavours to Christ and depend upon the inextinguishable power of the Spirit within us. No goal that our Lord has led us to aspire to is unattainable and a few suggestions might be helpful in this pursuit.

To reach our goals we lay aside the distractions. What are the obstacles that hinder us? Consider what is working for us right now and what is not. Goal setting may mean saying ‘no’ to a lot of good things in order to say ‘yes’ to the best. To reach our goals we continue to endure with consistent perseverance. When do we most feel like giving up?

​What makes us feel stuck? Recognise our weakest moments and ask God to help us through these roadblocks. And finally, to reach our goals, we consider our excellent role model, Jesus. As we ponder His life and sufferings, we will be encouraged to not grow weary or give up in the pursuit of our goals.

​Jennifer Woodley
South-East Queensland, Australia - info@grace-lines.net