Set Goals that Fit in the Big Picture

“Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” I Corinthians 6:19-20 NKJV

 I don’t know about you, but since Jesus broke into my life more than forty years ago, I have wanted to do what pleases Him. Once I realized that surrendering to Him was changing my life for the better I was all in and I’ve never looked back.

Being all in for Jesus means I want every aspect of my life to honor Him. That includes any goals I set. As years have passed, I have realized that my goals need to line up with His goals.What about you?

Because you belong to Him, you are His to fit in to what He wants. Your desires are clues to what He wants, but they can be unreliable. The Spirit is willing but the flesh…well, you know. How do you know which goals fit in with God’s goals? The only way to be clear about what God wants is to get the big picture.

The big picture is God’s plan for the redemption of humanity. Discovering God’s goals means I must be in the Scriptures regularly. So, I’ve been more attentive as I’ve been in the Scriptures to recognize His goals. My conclusion is this: Any goals I set must line up with God’s overarching goal of restoring people to a relationship with Him. His plan for you is always, always, always going to fit into that big picture.

The Bible is one book from beginning to end. One story. I have read the Bible from beginning to end for a number of years now and the more I read, the more clear it becomes. God loves people and wants them to be close to Him, and because we couldn’t figure that out on our own, He took the initiative. He sent Jesus to do what is necessary to restore our broken relationship with Him. That is God’s goal. That ‘s the big picture. Whatever goals I set need to fit into that plan.

God’s plan for you will never be about your personal satisfaction, although that is important to Him. Jesus came so that we can have an abundant, overflowing, satisfying life. (John 10:10) But that is not His primary goal.

His plan never changes. His plan from beginning to end of the Bible is to have a relationship with humanity. From the moment Adam and Eve walked away from that relationship, His plan has been to restore it. Period. That’s what God wants most. To restore lost humanity into relationship with Himself. His plan for you is part of that plan. That also includes your personal fulfillment. He has a way of covering all the bases at once. He’s God. He can do that!

My personal goals must be connected to my relationship with God. Writing a book was a long-held goal. How was that connected to my relationships with God? I believed that He had called me to do it. It took a while, but I am in the final process of going through my editor’s suggested changes. This year I will finally become a published author. If you are interested, click here to join my email list and get notified when The YES Adventure: Transform Your Life with One Word is published.

Obedience to God’s call is part of deepening my relationship with Him. It’s the same for you. Even if you stumble through your obedience as I have, you will deepen your relationship with Him. I can tell you that from experience.

God’s goals for you involve restoring your relationship with Him, but they also involve you in restoring others. Your restored relationship with God is not a one-time deal. It’s continuous. Saying YES to Jesus is just the beginning. That YES restores your connection to God. The process of restoring relationship will continue for the rest of your earthly life.

Part of that process is Him living through you. The more my relationship with God is restored, the more access He has to my life and the more able He is to live through me. As He lives through me and you He will be reaching out to others, drawing them to Himself and restoring every part of their lives. That’s what I hope my book does. How awesome to be a part of that!

Dear Friend, you want to set goals that make a difference in your life and in the world around you. To do that you need to get the big picture. You need to set goals that fit in to God’s goal of restoring His broken relationship with humanity. How awesome and satisfying to be a part of that!

 Key Question: How do I set goals that fit in with God’s goals?

A Scripture to Consider: “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” I Corinthians 6:19-20 NKJV

A YES Challenge: If you have never read through the Bible, make that a goal for this year to help you get the big picture.

Prayer: Father, thank You for calling me to Yourself. Thank You for making me a part of Your family. Thank You for redeeming my life from the consequences of sin. It’s hard for me to fathom the depths of all that means. Even so, I want to join You in Your goal of redeeming all humanity. Help me to align with Your goal of redemption. Show me how my goals can fit with Your goals. Amen.