Finally, 2020 is in the rearview mirror and the almost twelve months of 2021 are in front of us. It’s a great time to stop and do some reflection, assessment, and reorientation. It’s also an ideal time to take aim at some goals for our personal life, work or career, marriage, and family.
How many of us actually do that, though?
I’m not a hunter—not that I have anything against it at all; I just never grew up learning the skills, acquiring the equipment, etc. But though I’m not a hunter, one fundamental of hunting seems a bit self-evident. If you don’t aim at the target, you can’t expect a venison dinner!
So if we don’t establish some targets to aim at in life—some goals, if you will—what will we miss? I suppose we’ll never know, right?
I’ve come across a few “anti-goalers” through the years. Some prefer simply to drift along on the current of fatalism and let come what may. Goal setting is too structured, too formal, too much work! After all, most goals are never achieved anyway, right?
Some others tend to cloak their opposition in more pious terms. “It’s too worldly and selfish and self-centered!” Granted, that certainly can be the case.
We just came through the season when the car commercials try to entice wives to buy their spouse a new luxury car for Christmas. I’m sure that rarely happens. More likely, hubby’s watching a football game and the commercial comes on. Next thing you know, he’s determined to get one of those sweet rides. Yes, that’s a rather selfish goal.
But setting goals early in the new year doesn’t have to be all about self. In fact, it shouldn’t be.
My sermon last Sunday morning focused on the last section of Romans 15 in which Paul the Apostle laid out a series of goals he was striving to accomplish. I’ll not repeat everything I said in that sermon. If you’d like to hear it all, you can watch here. But I do believe goal-setting is a worthwhile endeavor, and done right, it glorifies God.
Essentially, I encourage going through the process by asking a series of questions as you go.
Is this YOUR desire?
Paul told his readers that for several years he had desired to go to Rome and minister to the Christians there. Now, it’s a stated goal to get there.
Generally speaking, it’s not a great idea to establish as a goal someone else’s desire for you if you have no real interest in it yourself. Pretty good chance you’ll fail.
Is the timing right?
In Paul’s case, circumstances and other opportunities through the years kept him from pursuing the goal of going to Rome. But now, as he writes, the hindrances have apparently been removed, and he feels free to head in that direction.
Life gets in the way of some of those long-standing, God-given desires, doesn’t it? The stage of family life can force some goals to be put off until the kids are grown. The demands of job or career get in the way. Physical or financial limitations take their toll, too.
By way of example, I’ve read of many people who would love to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail or Pacific Crest Trail—both are over 2,000 miles long. But doing so takes six months, and they have children and jobs and house payments and…. Now’s not the time!
Can you clearly state the goal?
Michael Hyatt publishes a great deal of material on goal setting. He asserts we need to establish S.M.A.R.T.E.R. goals. I doubt Paul thought it through in the manner Hyatt suggests, but his goals in Romans 15 fit the criteria. What are S.M.A.R.T.E.R. goals?
- Specific – Paul’s goals were to go to Jerusalem, Rome, and Spain.
- Measurable – He knew beyond a doubt the goal was reached when he went through the city gate of Jerusalem.
- Actionable – He told his Roman readers more than once, “I will come to you.”
- Risky – The goal will stretch you in some way, even as Paul’s goals did him.
- Time-keyed – Paul put a timeline on his visit to Rome: “When I take my journey to Spain, I’ll come to Rome.” So instead of the goal, “I want to lose 15 lbs.” State it this way, “By establishing a consistent exercise routine and eliminating 250 calories per day, I will lose 15 lbs. by July 31, 2021.”
- Exciting – For Paul, getting to Rome would fulfill a years-long desire. Can you imagine his excitement as he writes down, “After all these years of wanting to come see you, I’m heading your way!”
- Relevant – whatever the goal, it needs to be aligned with your values, your season in life with all its responsibilities, and your other goals. That was certainly true for Paul.
Are you committed to it?
When you read Romans 15:23-32, it’s clear Paul is committed to visiting Rome. “Coming to you” is all he can talk about, it seems! it
The point here is that someone else’s “good idea” can’t become your goal unless you own it—you’re committed to make significant sacrifices and go through great effort to achieve it.
Does it stretch and grow your faith?
Paul’s goal was a statement of faith: “I will come to you…” (v. 24)
He also expresses faith when he writes, “I trust to see you…” (v. 24)
A fundamental action of faith is prayer. He urged Roman Christians to join him in the work of prayer so that his goals might be accomplished. (v. 30f)
Most importantly, the center of faith can’t be yourself; it must be God. One of Paul’s prayer requests is that he makes it to Rome with joy “by the will of God.” If this undertaking is to succeed, he acknowledges, it will be God’s working.
What’s the plan for achievement?
A goal without a plan is just a sentence.
Paul’s ultimate goal stated in this passage is to get to Spain. But first, he had to go to Jerusalem. Then he would make his way west, stopping in Rome for supplies, support, encouragement, and opportunities to minister.
Needless to say, in an era without Travelocity and rental cars, he had a host of logistics to work out.
Why?
A statement I’ve read often in Michael Hyatt’s writings is “We lose our way when we lose our why.”
Why do you want to achieve this goal? The fuzzier your “why,” the less likely you’ll hit the target.
In Paul’s case, he stated three clearly defined goals, each with specific reasons. One, go to Jerusalem to deliver a huge financial aid package to the needy. Two, go to Spain to fulfill his calling of taking the gospel where it’s never gone before. Three, go to Rome to gain help and support for the journey to Spain, to encourage the Christians there, and enjoy good company.
Are you fully surrendered to the will of God?
Whatever you do in your goal-setting process, don’t ignore this final question.
I recently read a Facebook meme in which someone asked, “How do I know if my goal is the will of God?”
Assuming there’s nothing inherently wrong with the goal, you likely won’t know for sure until it’s achieved. Even Paul added the caveat to his goal of a visit to Rome, “that I may come to you with joy by the will of God.”
And he was fully surrendered to whatever shape that “will” took. We know that because of what happened after he wrote this.
Apparently, he eventually made it to Spain—years later. But when he arrived in Jerusalem, in the will of God, he faced tremendous opposition, was taken into custody, and spent a couple years in prison. Then as a prisoner he was transferred to Rome by ship, suffering shipwreck en route. Once finally in Rome, he spent two years under house arrest awaiting trial, uncertain the whole time of the outcome. All of this was “in the will of God.”
Yet throughout, he demonstrated calm submission. You can read how he handled all this in Acts 21-28.
So aim!
By all means, establish some good goals that will glorify God through the use and development of your gifts and vocation. Goals that will bless and benefit others. Goals that, once accomplished, will bring joy to your own heart, too.
But do so in humble, calm submission to the will of God!
