God-driven Goals ( Col 3:23)
As believers in Christ Jesus, our hope does not lie in a new year. We are blessed with a new beginning each time we turn to Christ. However, there is nothing wrong with seizing the opportunity to start afresh, and January sort of grants us that opportunity. As the year just started, most of us have set personal goals that we would like to accomplish by the time this year comes to an end.
About a week ago, I came across a WhatsApp post that read, ”Kulonyaka Nkosi ngicela wenze intando yami, ngoba vele lempilo eyami” which can be translated: ”This year Lord, please do my will because it’s my life.” In response to that, you are probably thinking, “Your will, in whose world? Your life, whose air are you breathing?” Truth is, people will always find someone to blame if their plans do not go as they had hoped for, and God often is the one they blame. Knowing how self-centered the human race is, honestly, I was not shocked when I read that. Though I did have a question: What could possibly cause a person to say this? And I came to one conclusion: Unfulfilled goals.
Now I would like to point out that while modern society’s obsession with the ‘self’ does make me cringe, there is nothing inherently sinful about setting goals and seeking to grow and develop as an individual. My question for you today is: Who is at the center of your goals? I do not consider it an argument to be made whether believers in Christ should set goals or not. Planning is good. According to Proverbs 21 verse 5a, “the plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance” and I believe that as the Holy Spirit is at work in us, we yearn for excellence in all that we do. It is to no surprise then that we set goals for ourselves and we desire growth.
We are told in Colossians 3 verse 23, ”Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.” In light of this verse, we can see that whatever we do, this includes our goals, we should be motivated by our love for the Lord, it should not be about improving ourselves. One may say that there is nothing wrong with improving yourself. But, the problem with self-improvement is that we tend to rely more on the accomplishments we hope to achieve, instead of relying on God himself. For instance, take the post that I read, to a certain extent the person is aware that God is Sovereign but they are adamant that what they want is better than what God has planned for them. It does not matter how much planning we do, God’s will for us will always prevail. This should not at all discourage us. It does not have to be ‘The Battle of The Wills’ – Us vs. God. Rather, this should cause us to depend more on God, and trust that through His ways He is making us more Christ-like.
Why do your goals matter so much to you? I remember when I first decided that I would like to go into ministry, I wrestled with my motives. Do I want to do this because I really love Jesus, and I see the need for the gospel? Or do I have ulterior motives? Do I really desire to see souls come to know and live for Jesus? Or is it all about my self-image, having a good reputation, or being known as ‘The Bible Guru’ (which I am not)? To put it bluntly in the words of the famous Paul Washer, ”Is it really about God, or it is all about you in God’s name?” Be it short-term or long-term goals, whatever they are, would you be willing to exchange them for God’s plan for your life? It is worth noting that sometimes what we desire is not what God desires for us, and that does not necessarily imply that our goals are evil or sinful. God knows what is best for us as his children and that is why at any moment in time, we should be willing to exchange our goals for his plans for us.
Unlike the post that I read, maybe you are not as straightforward as to ask God to do your will but you do question Him, ’Why doesn’t God just give me what I want?’ To be honest, it is hard to accept that God does not always give us what we want. However, we find comfort in that God is a Loving Father, even if He does not give us what we are sure we need at that time, we should believe and trust in the commonly known truth that God is faithful. Whatever happens, God has ordained it. Therefore, as we wrestle with our unfulfilled goals, we know that for those who love God all things work together for good for those who are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). And because of this very reason, we can freely embrace God’s will for our lives.
If we keep on setting goals that focus on ourselves, we lose sight of the bigger picture. Psalm 127 verse 1 says, ”Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labour in vain.” As a follower of Christ, it is futile to have confidence in what you want, but not be sure whether that is what God wants for you. Our goals need to honour God, not us. “Do you seek great things for yourself? Seek them not” (Jeremiah 45:5a). Scripture forbids that our goals should be self-centered. Only when we remove our eyes from ourselves and fix them upon Jesus we realise that our goals are worth more than ticking boxes of personal gain, but they become godly habits of worship to the Lord.
The more we insist on focusing on ourselves, it is the more we neglect the needs of others. It is important to keep God at the center of our goals because when God is at the center, we do nothing from selfish ambition and conceit, but in humility we count others more significant than ourselves (Philippians 2:3). The Christian life is about dying to self, and that means our goals should aim at better serving the Lord and others.
Life is not about pleasing ourselves. In Romans 12 verse 2, the Apostle Paul writes, ”Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” As we come to discern and know the will of God, we learn to please God and we do so from the heart. Paul writes again in 1 Corinthians 10 verse 1, ”So whether you eat or drink, whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” We were created to glorify our Creator. I encourage you today to align your goals with the glory of God. Make it your life commitment to glorify Him. Resolve to surrender all your life goals, your plans, and aspirations to God. Our lives are not our own, we live for the Lord; I pray that you make it your highest goal and desire to live a life that glorifies God.
