February 2, 2017
No Goals – No Gold, Part 2
Mary Southerland
Today’s Truth
Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take (Proverbs 3:5-6, NIV).
Friend to Friend
Watching our daughter introduce solid foods to our six-month-old grandson was an intriguing process to witness. I'm not sure if it was the texture or taste that surprised Justus, but the faces he made when that new food was first placed in his little mouth were hilarious. When he liked the new food, his eyes got big; he grinned and made a big smacking sound as if to say, "Where have you been keeping this stuff?" However, a few foods elicited a very different reaction. He scrunched up his face, turned his head and promptly spat out the offending food. Danna quickly learned the art of mixing foods in a single bite and also learned the same food Justus refused to eat on Thursday was often consumed the next time she tried.
God only reveals what we can understand, perceive, apply and digest at the time. Setting life goals allows us to do just that. In my last devotion we covered several criteria for Godly life goals. Let’s continue.
Attainable. Proverbs 16:3 "Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed."
If you have seen the movie, "Miss Congeniality," you will remember the scene during which each contestant was asked about life goals. "I want to achieve world peace" was the popular answer. World peace is a great goal, but not an attainable goal for one person. A better personal goal would be to make peace with your neighbor. Reaching a life goal requires action. We are called by God to not only hear His Word, but to put it into practice - to do something about it through setting goals.
Ask a trusted friend to hold you accountable in each area where you want to improve and grow. When we involve others, we feel a greater sense of responsibility and accountability. Run your plans and goals past other people. You don't want to do this with every goal and at every step along the way, but you should with big and important plans, especially if they impact other people.
Realistic. Hebrews 11:6 "And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to Him must believe that God exists and that He rewards those who sincerely seek Him."
When we set an unrealistic goal, we are setting ourselves up to fail. I once set a goal to read and memorize at least two chapters of the Bible each week. Yes, it was a great goal, but an unrealistic one for that season of my life. I had two small children and was directing the women's ministry of the church where my husband was the lead pastor. I taught a community Bible study of over 400 women, had 20 voice and piano students, and had begun traveling and speaking for women's events. When I did not reach that goal of memorizing two chapters of Scripture, I beat myself up with guilt. A more realistic goal would have been to memorize a few verses each week.
We must brutally examine motives. Are the goals we’re setting from God or are they from our own selfish desires? Do I want my relationship with God to grow or do I want others to think I am Godly?
Timely. Ephesians 5:15 -16"Be very careful, then, how you live, not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity … “
I need deadlines to achieve goals. When someone books me to speak for an event, I always ask them to give me a deadline for submitting handouts and Power point, shipping resources, etc. I then record those deadlines on my personal calendar. Sometimes the only reason we don't accomplish our goals is that we don't have a written plan of what needs to be done.
Pray! Ask God to give you direction to create goals and the power to reach them. He has a plan for our lives. Success and purpose come when we uncover those plans and go hard after them. Ask the Father to bless your holy pursuit of His will.
We need to order our lives in a more conscious way. Set forward-focused, spiritually sound goals, and be delivered from the futility of a life with no purpose.
Let’s Pray
Father, I want to follow Your plan for my life. Please lead me and guide me in Your ways. Give me Your wisdom and truth and show me the purpose for which I was created. I will seek You first in my life. I will trust You with my whole heart and do whatever You ask me to do.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
Read and memorize Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV) “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take.”
Record these verses in your journal.
Circle each action word.
In your own words, define the action words you circled.
More from the Girlfriends
As fully devoted followers of Christ, one of our goals should be to get healthy and stay healthy for this race of life. Mary’s book, Fit for Life explores four areas of fitness and health - spiritual, physical, mental and emotional. Within each one of these areas, Fit for Life examines principles and goals relating to rest, diet and exercise. Check it out!
Be sure to check out the FREE MP3s on Mary’s website and connect with Mary through email or on Facebook.
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