Week 77: Set Goals - Know Where you are Going

“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” (C.S. Lewis)

“The tragedy of life doesn’t lie in not reaching your goal.
The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach.” (Benjamin Mays)

You have to have a dream so you can get up in the morning with a purpose. Too often, people wake up just to do the same thing over and over again. Those who don’t know where they are going is like someone who is carrying a basketball and don’t know where the net is. No wonder I often came across posts on Facebook saying, “I’m boring!”; “Don’t know what to do…”; “I’m wishing for miracles to happen” etc. Readers, goalless life leads to confusion and emptiness. You might do something or many things, but it won’t be fulfilling and it doesn’t give you any long-term satisfaction. It would be dull, robot and directionless. Without goals people just wander through life.

I asked a fellow friend one day, “So, after you graduated where do you plan to work?”

He stared at me and said, “I just go with the flow… I don’t know. I just trust God will guide me.”

“Well,” I replied sarcastically, “just so you know, God won’t filled the job applications for you~” 

[After 3 days we become friend again]

Having goals in life is very important. Goals keep you focused on your primary mission and determine how you conduct your life. As I focusing on my personal goals daily – Its change the way I think and the way I set my priorities. Its determine the books I read, TV shows that I watch, the questions I ask, the words I speaks, the people I intentionally want to spent time with, and the many investments in term of financial, time and energy I’m willing to sacrifice. William P. Merrill writes, “Unless you give yourself to some great cause, you haven’t begun to live.” Goals shape the way you live each day.

Goals give you strength and endurance. Added with hope, goals can keep you going when everything seems to ‘black-out’. Cecil B. de Mille says it well, “Most of us serve our ideals by fits and starts. The person who makes a success of living is the one who sees his goal steadily and aims for it unswervingly.” Goals with burning desire, however, can go much further. It is like a ‘drug’ that can boost your physical power, energy, and enthusiasm needed to accomplish your goals. But as it is important to write your goals down (both short-term & long-term goals) and to really determine what you want; never ever forget that goals are remain a dream unless it is a dream being acted upon. You got to aim for a goal and start on your way; act upon it!

In closing, I want to ask you; what are your goals? What is it you want to have accomplished? What are your God-given talents and skills that you want to sharpen (or discover)? What about your future career or relationship? Or could it be surrendering your life to Christ, establishing a relationship with God, getting a promotion at work, getting out of debt or spending more time with the family? Whatever it is – set your goals! Hey, God is sovereignty in control of our today and our tomorrow, but it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t set goals for yourself.  The Apostle James taught us to make plans with the qualifier "if the Lord wills" (James 4:13-17). Therefore, as you sets your goals in life, bare this word in mind:
All goals are subject to change and to the perfect will of God. I will surrender my future to Him alone.

“Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you” (Psalm 37:5)

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Set goals!