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“Now to Him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us—” (Ephesians 3:20 – HCSB)

We know that setting goals is important because the Bible tells us that Jesus set goals.

It was not unusual for Him to announce publicly His goal for the next period of His ministry.

So why should you set goals? Today we’re going to talk about three reasons to set goals, and next time we’ll talk about three more.

It is your spiritual responsibility to set goals. By not setting goals for your life, you are already letting other people run your life.When you don’t decide in advance what’s important, you’re letting other people decide. You end up wasting your life, because you haven’t clarified how you want to grow as a follower of Christ.

The Bible says to be spiritually mature, you must set goals and move toward them.

“Not that I have already reached the goal or am already fully mature, but I make every effort to take hold of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus…I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus. Therefore, all who are mature should think this way. And if you think differently about anything, God will reveal this also to you.” (Philippians 3:12, 14, 15 – HCSB)    

Your statement of faith are the goals you set. If you’re a believer in Jesus Christ and you set a goal, you’re saying, “I believe that God wants me to complete this by this time. This is what I believe God is going to do in my life.”

Goals aren’t just a statement of faith. They expand your faith. The bigger your goal, the more your faith will be expanded. And that pleases God.

Your energy becomes focused when you set goals. Focus is always the key to an effective life. If you spread your energy out over many things, you’ll reduce your impact. But a focused life is powerful and can change the world.

You don’t have time to do everything. You don’t have time to do some things, but you have time to do some things.  Prioritizing your life and goals help you accomplish even more things!

Here’s the good news: God doesn’t expect you to do everything! The key to being effective in life as a follower of Jesus is to do what matters most and forget everything else. Often you must stop doing good things, so you have time to do great things. Goals help you maintain that kind of focus. 1 Corinthians 9:26 says it this way: “I do not run without a goal. I fight like a boxer who is hitting something—not just the air” (NCV).

Ask yourself these questions then have a conversation with someone…

• How do your goals reflect what you believe about the Lord?
• Do your family, friends, and work-team set goals? Why is it important for each group to do this?
• What things do you spend your time and energy on that may not really matter?

Have you trusted God’s promise of salvation?

If you’re ready to trust in Jesus Christ to be your Savior, then pray this prayer:

“Dear Jesus, you have promised that if I believe in you, everything I’ve ever done wrong will be forgiven, and you will accept me into your forever family now and give me an eternal home in heaven one day. I thank you that I don’t have to earn or work for my salvation because I know that is impossible. Jesus, I am grateful for your love and for your sacrifice that makes it possible for me to join you in heaven. I know I don’t deserve it. I confess that you are my Savior, and I am putting my faith in you alone for my salvation. Now, I want to learn the purpose of my life. And I want to use the rest of my life to serve you instead of serving myself. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.”