Saturday, January 7, 2017

Setting Goals

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On my way back to Dubai, I was seating in the plane and was thinking that this year will be a very good and fruitful year for our church. It made me think to do planning and vision casting. So after landing and getting a cab, I immediately asked the team to get ready for an exciting activity. Below is the teaching that revealed to me during my devotion last Wednesday and Thursday.

IS SETTING GOALS UNSPIRITUAL?

No! Many people wrongly think, "Goal setting is unspiritual because it shows a lack of trust. It's not right to plan. Instead, people should wait for God to lead them.” Granted, God doesn't want us to forge ahead in pride without consulting Him for direction. But neither does He want us to sit around without acting, because He's given us gifts and talents and has also said that we are called to do good works.

Ephesians 2:8-10 (8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.)

Forging ahead without seeking God or sitting back and doing nothing can stem from fear or a lack of faith. However, setting goals and consulting with Him shows that you trust Him and believe that He is able to lead you while you are moving forward.

The main verse that we studied was Philippians 3:13-14.
13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Setting goals is a part of spiritual discipline
  • Before you can ever accomplish anything meaningful in life, you have to see what God sees so you can see what God can do in your life
  • Once you are able to see what God can do, then you have to believe he will really do it
  • You have to believe he can help you make the changes you need to make
  • If you don't believe change is possible, you won't even make the effort to change
  • But once you believe you can actually change, then you will be able to set faith goals

1. Set Goals Like Running in a Race (v 13)
  • TAKE HOLD (Apprehend, Make it my own) - to reach the goals, claim it as you have received and accomplished it.
  • FORGETTING (Not to have remembrance, Not looking back) - forget the past and old failure but never omit the lessons that you have learned from it
  • STRAINING TOWARD (Forward, Reaching Forth) - focus your eyes on God, focus on accomplishing good works. No laziness, no weakness, no backing down. Aim for gold!

2. Set Goals Like Winning A Prize (v 14)

  • PRESS ON (Pursuing, Chasing, Running) - it is about winning the prize which is knowing God more and hear His calling. Again, setting goals is a part of spiritual discipline. It's not just a good idea; the Bible says you need to set goals in order to grow in your faith. Goals stretch you and help you become all God wants you to be.

God is a God who sets goals, and he expects you to set them too. Like the Apostle Paul, he wants us to say: Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. (1 Corinthians 9:26)
You will make mistakes in setting goals. It's OK. Because God wants to see you do His will, He will teach you the way to go as you walk in faith. I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. (Psalm 32:8)

After the teaching, I divided the team into two groups and put the goals that we will accomplish and might able to attain. It turned out to be exciting and the ideas were pouring out: