Did you know God sets goals? by Rick Warren
"It's not just a good idea; the Bible says you need to set goals in order to grow in your faith."
Over the past few days we've talked about seeing things with the eyes of faith: How could this year really be different from last year? How could this decade really be different from the last ten years?
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.
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.
Setting goals is a spiritual discipline is because God sets goals. Did you know that? God sets goals, and so as you mature in Christ-like character, you will need to set goals. God has goals for history that have not happened yet. God has goals for his family -- the church -- that have not happened yet. God has goals for your life that have not happened yet.
The Bible says God plans and so we know that planning is spiritual. God planned out the universe and the more we scientifically study it, the more we realize how well planned it actually is.
The Bible says God plans to bring all of history to its goal in Christ, all of life is moving forward to a destiny. One day Jesus Christ is coming back and every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord. One day God is going to close down the books on earth and start a new heaven and earth, and "Christ will be the head of everything in heaven and on earth!" (Ephesians 1:10 GW)
God is a God who sets goals, and he expects you to set them too. Like the Apostle Paul, he wants us to say, "I do not run without a goal. I fight like a boxer who is hitting something—not just the air." (1 Corinthians 9:26 NCV)
Tuesday, January 11, 2011 Goals stretch your faith by Rick Warren
According to your faith will it be done to you. Matthew 9:29 (NIV)
"No goal is really a goal by default. If you don't set a goal, you've already set it and the goal is to stay the same."
Every time you set a goal, you are saying I believe God wants me to do this by such and such a date -- and that is a statement of faith.
Now, if you state a big goal, God will work in a big way. If you state a medium-size goal, God will work in a medium way. If you state a small goal, God will work in a small way.
So you can see how goals stretch my faith. They affirm that I trust God, but that also are statements of how much I trust God. The Bible says, “Because of your faith, it will happen.” (Matthew 9:29 NLT)
This means that no goal is really a goal by default. In other words, if you don't set a goal, you've already set it and the goal is to stay the same.
See how this works –
When I ask you what's your goal for your health in 2011? If you say, ‘I don't have one,’ then your goal is to stay the same.
When I ask you what's your goal in your relationships? If you say, ‘I don't have one,’ then your goal is for them not to get any better.
When I ask you what's your goal for your finances and getting out of debt? If you say, ‘I don't have one,’ then your goal is to stay in debt.
When I ask you what's your goal for your business career? If you say, ‘I don't have one,’ then your goal is to just drift along.
That’s why the Bible teaches us to have goals. They are a spiritual discipline. They challenge our faith. They develop our character and they build our hope.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011 Your Goals Should Bring God Glory by Rick Warren
We make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. 2 Corinthians 5:9 (NIV)
"Any goal you set that causes you to trust God more, brings glory to God."
Not every goal is a good goal or the kind of goal that God gets behind and helps you accomplish.
So what kind of goals does God bless? The Bible says, “Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31 NIV) That means if you are going to set some goals, they need to be goals that bring glory to God.
Now, it says whatever you eat – honestly, if I sit down at a restaurant I don't naturally think which food will bring the most glory to God. I'm not thinking that one at all. Would I probably be healthier if I did? Of course.
But there is a bigger point and that is that everything can be done for the glory of God -- eat, drink or anything that you do.
Does that mean I can close a sale for the glory of God? Yes. Does that mean I can sweep the house for the glory of God? Yes. Does that mean I can program computers for the glory of God? Yes! You can do anything to the glory of God. I can macramé to the glory of God.
You say, ‘Well, how do I do that? It requires the right attitude and the right motivation. The right attitude is ‘I do it out of gratitude.’ The right motivation is ‘I do it to honor God.’
How do you know if it's going to bring glory to God? Any goal that causes you to love God more brings glory to God. Any goal you set that causes you to trust God more, brings glory to God. Any goal you set that causes to you obey God, to love God, to serve God, any goal that causes you to want to brag on God and tell unbelievers, ‘Look what he did for me’ -- that's the goal that brings glory to God.
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