“I have not yet reached my goal, and I am not perfect. But Christ has taken hold of me. So I keep on running and struggling to take hold of the prize.” Philippians 3:12 (CEV)
Yesterday we began looking at why it’s important to set goals. Today we’re going to explore three more reasons why goal setting matters.
You need to set goals because they give you the hope you need to keep moving.
Job says, “What strength do I have left that I can go on hoping? What goal do I have that I would want to prolong my life?” (Job 6:11 GW). To keep moving forward, you need to have a goal.
A goal doesn’t have to be big to motivate you. For instance, if you had surgery, your first goal in recovery could be to sit up in bed. Then you might work toward standing up and then later walking down the hallway.
Each of those goals is very small, but they’re all important—because getting from where you are to where you want to be isn’t one big leap. It’s many small steps. A goal doesn’t have to be big to be important—it just has to encourage you to carry on.
You need to set goals because they build your character.
The greatest benefit to your life will not be your accomplishments but rather what happens inside you while you’re moving toward your goal.
God is more interested in your character than he is in your accomplishments. While you’re working on your goal, God is working on you. He is building your character, and that’s what’s going to last for eternity.
That’s why Paul says in Philippians 3:12, “I keep on running and struggling to take hold of the prize” (CEV). It takes energy, effort, and focus to reach your goal, and the result is that you become more like Christ.
You need to set goals because good goals will be rewarded.
Proverbs 11:27 says, “If your goals are good, you will be respected” (GNT). When you give your life to a good goal, it brings honor and builds a legacy on earth.
But the real reward in setting good goals will come in eternity. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 9:25-26, “All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step” (NLT).
Paul was a purpose-driven goal setter. You need to be that, too, so that you can win the prize that God has prepared for you in heaven.
If you’re discouraged today, set some new goals. What is something that you can work for that will motivate and encourage you each day as you move closer to your goal?
What have you learned about yourself and about God as you’ve worked toward a goal?
How do you want God to work in your life? In what ways do your goals reflect what you hope God will do and what you expect him to do in and through you?
