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What Are We Doing?

I had to reevaluate my goals yesterday. It came to me when I was lying in bed falling asleep. What am I doing with my spiritual life right now? What short-term and long-term goals should I set for myself? What short-term spiritual goals have other people my age set for themselves?

After asking my friends if they had goals, I realized that most of us had little or no spiritual goals. As Christians I think that this is terribly wrong. If we are not striving to meet godly goals, what are we doing? We are filling our time with things that will profit us little in the spiritual realm. Ecclesiastes 12: 11-12 tells us, “The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails—given by one Shepherd. Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them. Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body.” Solomon is not telling us that we should not study, but he is telling us that all of our activities are a waste if we don’t follow God and  get our spiritual goals straight.

My Goals

I decided to set my goals – short term and long term. I want to read through the Bible in 90 days, which I am doing now. When I am done, I plan to start over again. I want to memorize James. I want to finish reading I Kissed Dating Goodbye, and start reading Passion & Purity. Out of my love for Christ, I want to read His word everyday.

With God Nothing is Impossible

I set these goals and with God’s help I will try to fulfill them. Don’t try to set goals without God, it doesn’t work. Galatians 3: 2-3 says “Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?”

Evaluating the Goals

The point of having these goals is to glorify God and to grow in His teachings. These goals are not to glorify ourselves. The goals we set will help us, but they are for God’s glory not ours. Philippians 3:14 says “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

Most Importation Goal

I think that the most important goal is to read your Bible. God personally wrote these books for me and you. Think of it like this. You go off to war, and you write your sweetheart 66 love letters. You come back, and find that she’s only read a few of them, and some of them weren’t even opened. God wrote us 66 love letters. Just think of living a whole life time and not even knowing what they say.

His Plan for You

God wants us to succeed in life. He wants us to trust in him, and be totally content in that trust. He does make it clear though, that without Him, we cannot accomplish anything. John 15: 5 says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” Setting spiritual goals will make you like a tree planted by rivers of water. Your work will come to fruition in due season.