“The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.” Ephesians 1:14 NLT
How do you set God-centered goals? If you are like me, you want your life to line up with God’s goals for you. You want to live for His glory. That means you want to set goals that honor Him and advance His Kingdom. A worthy desire! But how?
The key to lining up your goals with God’s goals for you is to know what His goals are, right? But how do you know what His goals are? He has provided all that you need. His Word and His Spirit.
The Word. If you want to set God-centered goals you must immerse yourself in the Word of God. His goal for your life will always line up with His Word. His word is one story from beginning to end. His Word helps you understand the big picture of God’s love for humanity and His plan for their redemption. God-centered goals fit into that big picture.
To know God’s goal for you, you must know His Word. You understand His desires as You understand Him through His Word. Jesus is the Living Word. God-centered goals glorify Jesus and always point to Him.
The Spirit. The Spirit is God present with us here and now. He is the guarantee that our lives belong to God, that we have a part in the inheritance He has planned for His family. What an awesome thought!
The Spirit guides us into all truth (John 16:13-15). The truth about God and the truth about ourselves. The Spirit uses the Word to point to God Himself. You know Him better through knowing His Word.
The Spirit helps us understand our inheritance — what we have because of our relationship with Christ — but also what we need to change so that we can live out that inheritance on earth. Walking in step with the Spirit leads you to God-centered goals. (Galatians 5:25)
The Spirit and the Word work together to lead us into God’s plans. Dear friend, setting God-centered goals is not complicated, but it may require a shift in perspective. You may have been taught that setting goals is about getting more done, about being more productive. That would mean God-centered goals might be about getting more done for God. I submit to you that is not what God-centered goals are.
God-centered goals are about doing the things that are on God’s agenda. God-centered goals are about becoming a person who represents Christ well in this broken culture. God-centered goals are about expressing God’s love and advancing His redemption plan.
When you and I set God-centered goals we will accomplish what is important to God and we will become better reflections of Christ’s character.
Key Question: How do I set God-centered goals?
A Scripture to Consider: “The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.” Ephesians 1:14 NLT
A YES Challenge: Review goals you have already set. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you how to adjust them to better align with God’s Word.
Prayer: Father, I want to keep You at the center of every goal I set. I want to honor You and live for Your glory. Help me remember that Your Word is the guide that helps keep You at the center. Fill me with Your Spirit and let Your Spirit guide me into all the truth found in Your word. Amen.
