Goals! Just thinking back, I must have shared this concept in nothing less than 1,000 seminars. How can I talk about anything else without first talking about goals? Goals are important, they are the line in the sand, that let us know how far to run. They let us know when we have won, or when we should stop.
There was a popular verse we used, as we were taught – “Write down the vision and make it plain, so that he that reads may run” – Habakkuk 2:2-3. Unknown to us, the verse in context sits in the middle of God’s indignation against His people and it’s not a good vision at all, it’s a vision of God punishing his people with those who are not His people. If we know the vision that the Lord was asking Habakkuk to document we’ll never use it as our basis for writing down our visions. I realize that this vision matter was a sequel to another popular verse we regularly use out of context – “I will do a thing in your day, that you would not believe if you were told” – Well the thing that Lord wanted to do, was destroy His people with the Chaldeans. When we take scripture out of context like these we really just set ourselves up.
So back to Goals! Goals are important, without clarity about where we are going, the journey is bound to be uncertain. Our goals singularly manage all the energies used in achieving them. Once the goal is defined wrongly, everything else goes haywire. Our goals is where we get it all mixed up.
You can imagine then, what becomes your reality if these are your goals.
1. Wealth
2. Prosperity
3. Relevance
4. Greatness
5. Excellence
6. Success
7. Wisdom
8. Achievement
9. Significance
10. Leadership
11. Recognition
12. Heaven
These all sound like great things to aim for! I’m sure someone reading is wondering what is wrong with having this as a goal. After all, these are are the goals of some Church organizations. Can what a pastor and entire worship centers is pursuing be wrong? Yes!
The Goal of a follower of Christ is simple – Christ! To be full of him, to know him, experience is death and burial and attain to His resurrection. Our goal is to access everything God has for us. God is beaconing us onward to Jesus! This is our goal, not wealth, prosperity, leadership or even Heaven. Our Goal is Christ! Full Stature in Him, and it requires total commitment!
Once we are clear about this goal, what do we need to do? Realize that what you will do, and what you would look out for would be different if any of the list above is your goal. Someone whose goal is wealth does everything for the money, someone whose goal is heaven, needs to first die. If your goal is wisdom, you’ll demand for it as an end. None of these qualifies as the goal of one following Christ. Our goal is Christ. Having Christ as our goal, makes every credential equivalent to dog dung compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ personally, and going all the way with him to full stature – death, burial and resurrection.
So what do I need to do? Philippians 3:12-21.explains it clearly. Look for those who are following the right path, and stick with them. If you don’t see this goal clearly it’s because your vision is blurred, only God can help with a blurred vision. If you are however on track, you need to stay on track. Here is Apostle Paul’s advice to the Philippian Church
“Stick with me, friends. Keep track of those you see running this same course, headed for this same goal. There are many out there taking other paths, choosing other goals, and trying to get you to go along with them. I’ve warned you of them many times; sadly, I’m having to do it again. All they want is easy street. They hate Christ’s Cross. But easy street is a dead-end street. Those who live there make their bellies their gods; belches are their praise; all they can think of is their appetites. But there’s far more to life for us. We’re citizens of high heaven! We’re waiting the arrival of the Savior, the Master, Jesus Christ, who will transform our earthy bodies into glorious bodies like his own. He’ll make us beautiful and whole with the same powerful skill by which he is putting everything as it should be, under and around him.” – Phil 3:17-21
