Goals Part One: January 2, 2012

TODAYS WORD FOR MONDAY JANUARY 2, 2012

GOALS

PART ONE

DEFINITION:

Any object of ambition or desire; the result of achievement to which effort is directed; the aim or end.

SCRIPTURE:

“I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God.” Philippians 3:14.

“Seek the Lord and His strength.” Psalm 105:4

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

God has allowed us to be involved through the years in some very exciting and rewarding projects. In all of these projects throughout our lives we have been driven by goals that we have set. Today we urge young people to make a commitment early in life to set goals in their lives that honor God.

If you have never thought about setting goals for your life, now is the time to begin. We begin a New Year this week and many people take time at the beginning of a New Year to make resolutions. But unfortunately, in a very short time those resolutions are not only broken but forgotten.

Remember that today is the first day of the rest of your life and God wants you to set some life lasting goals serving Him. Without positive practical physical goals in your life you will become stagnant and perhaps lazy.

Of greater priority to the Lord are the spiritual goals we have for our life. We need to have spiritual goals that will help us grow our faith in the Lord and allow Him to work in us and through us.

The above verse from Psalms would be a great first goal for you to commit to today: SEEK THE LORD AND HIS STRENGTH. Consider making this your daily prayer and God will honor you through it. Never underestimate what God is able to do through you.

In the verse above from Philippians the Apostle Paul set a goal that was not made for his hope for earthly rewards. This goal was set because he was totally committed to honor God and work every day for his heavenly rewards. During Paul’s lifetime his goals in life changed dramatically. After Paul had an encounter with God and met Jesus Christ as his Savior, he went from the goal of persecuting Christians to the goal of spreading the good news of the gospel. God called him to spread Christianity to the world he lived in.

This became Paul’s one and only goal for the rest of his life. Even when it meant being persecuted, or being beaten, or being put in prison, Paul never wavered in fulfilling his God given goal for his life.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Mark 16:15.

And Jesus said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”

PRAYER:

Give me the strength as I seek You today to set life-long goals that will honor You. Burden my heart to the extent that I will make this New Year a year that I will reach out to the world around me with the good news of the gospel.