Set Goals That Focus on Faithfulness

February 17, 2024 Cathleen Zahradnik

“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.” John 15:16 NIV

Are you a goal-setter? I have found setting goals to be one of the best tools for growth. When I set a goal that is specific and set a target completion date, I find myself stumbling forward even if I don’t meet my goal. I’ve learned to evaluate my goals by growth rather than accomplishment. Isn’t growth what makes life meaningful? Goals challenge me to keep thinking forward and acting forward. However, achieving the goal has become less important to me as I have…matured. Why?

Alright, as I’ve gotten OLDER (the word I was avoiding) I’ve realized that faithfulness is of higher value than productive success. A faithful life is a fruitful life. And, as I’ve been recently ruminating, I’d rather be fruitful than productive and fulfilled rather than satisfied (Click the links to check out those posts.) When you and I focus on faithfulness we will be fruitful and fulfilled. Faithfulness will lead to fruitfulness. When we are fruitful we will be productive because we will produce what matters.

So, how do goals fit into focusing on fruitfulness and faithfulness? The goals you set become even more important because they become focused on fulfilling purpose and transforming character.

When I focus on faithfulness, I fulfill my purpose. How are you measuring success? By checking things off your task list? Been there. Done that! Faithful goals are not just about getting things done. Faithful goals are about fulfilling your God-ordained purpose. He created you and placed you on this planet for a specific purpose. When you align your goals with your purpose you can’t help but fulfill it over and over. Purpose is not a one-shot deal. Purpose is accomplished over time through many small decisions. Faithfulness is fruitful because it is focused on purpose. How does what you’ve accomplished fit into what you believe you were designed for?

When I focus on faithfulness, I produce the right kind of fruit. Goals are great. Truly! They add structure to scattered seasons. They can become guardrails that remind us to align with purpose if we set them with purpose in view. Purpose-aligned goals lead to fruit that lasts, in us as well as through us. Purpose-aligned goals have transformed me from a hesitant and anxious supporter to a confident and peaceful leader. Let me assure you there are still moments of hesitance and anxiety, However, when they arise, they don’t make me freeze in indecision. That frozen indecision was my default for years. The purpose-aligned goals I have set over the years have helped produce the fruit of character that God wants to build in me. Character that reflects Christ and leads to a transformed life.

When I focus on faithfulness, I become the person I am meant to be. What if you measured success by growth? Did you respond better than you did last time to that annoying person? Did you face that fearful phone call instead of avoiding it? Did you try that thing you’ve never done before so that you could take another step toward that big goal?

When I look back on the person I used to be, I am truly amazed at what God has done in me. My goals have been tools that God has used to shape the person I have become, and I am so grateful! When I say goodbye to earth and hello to eternity the results of achieving those goals will be so much clearer. What about you? How are your goals shaping you? They are, you know, whether you are aware of it or not. Why not be intentional and set goals that focus on faithfulness, fruitfulness, and growth?

Dear Friend, you are accomplishing so much more than you realize. You are becoming a more beautiful reflection of Jesus. Each small faith-filled decision is a goal achieved. You are achieving the goal of honoring your King. You are achieving the goal of loving Him above all. You are achieving the goal of loving your neighbor as yourself. And in the process, you are doing more and going farther than you think. Yes, you are!

Key Question: How do goals fit into focusing on fruitfulness?

A Scripture to Consider: “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.” John 15:16 NIV

A YES Challenge: Take some time to prayerfully reflect on some recent accomplishments. How has achieving those goals contributed to your growth?

Prayer: Dear Lord, I want to do more than check boxes on a task list. I want to become the person You designed me to be. Help me to set purpose-aligned goals that facilitate my growth. I want to grow in Christ-like character. But I also want to do all that You designed me to do for Your honor and glory. Amen.

Cultivate Grateful: Getting God-Centered

November 5, 2022 Cathleen Zahradnik

'Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.' 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 MSG

Have you ever thought about what a grateful heart does for you? What's the benefit to cultivating grateful? How does gratefulness affect us and our relationships? Most especially, how does cultivating grateful affect our relationship with God.

In his book Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God Pastor Tim Keller contemplates the most familiar prayer of all time as a model for building our communication with God. He considers what we call "The Lord's Prayer" as a structure for approaching our Heavenly Father. As I read Pastor Keller's thoughts it seemed to me that cultivating grateful is a key to opening the door to experiencing God's presence.

Keller says, "Adoration and thanksgiving - God-centeredness- comes first. Because it heals the heart of self-centeredness, which curves us in on ourselves and distorts all our vision."(p.114)

When I cultivate a grateful heart I am more able to recognize God's majesty and goodness. A grateful heart can glimpse God's great love and longs to honor and obey Him in response. A grateful heart opens the door to closeness with God.

Setting Sail for the Next Leg of My Journey: Honoring My YES Adventure

August 27, 2022 Cathleen Zahradnik

'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:30-31 NIV

The YES Adventure. That’s the name of this website and blog. Following God becomes an adventure the moment we say YES to Him. When you say YES to God, He will take you places you never expected to go and enable you to do things you never expected to do. He will do more in you than you have ever expected and more through you than you ever imagined. My challenge to you: Discover YOUR more when you give God your YES. That has been my experience and it’s what I want for you.

This week my adventure included a milestone birthday. Milestones always inspire reflection for me. They are an opportunity to look back and celebrate how far I have come. But they are also an opportunity to dream about where I am going next. Do you do that?

As I have considered this milestone, I have wanted to honor the adventure God has taken me on. From my first YES, He has led me from a scared, self-centered girl to a confident, caring woman who spends her life serving others. My girlhood dream was to be a famous actress. My grown-up dream is to fulfill God's purposes for my life, which included becoming a minister and serving His people. That’s a journey I never expected to take! My life is so much more fulfilling and satisfying than I ever dreamed it could be. And at this juncture many people would be looking toward retirement, winding down. Tom and I are in the process of preparing to gear up for a new season of service and are training for new adventures. I shake my head. How did we get here? One YES at a time. YES by YES. And more to go!

Happily Ever After? Really?

July 23, 2022 Cathleen Zahradnik

I have loved you with an everlasting love. Jeremiah 31:3

I was 14. He was almost 18. It was my first "real" relationship. I remember the moment he said "I love you. And I've never said that to anyone before!" I believed him. He believed himself. We were happy. What else would we be?!

It lasted almost a year. An eternity as far as teenage relationships go! When it ended there was no amicable separation or catastrophic blowout. I saw him kissing someone else. He knew it and stopped calling. I was cast aside. His love for me had come to an end. Where was the happy ending every romantic movie, book, or fairy tale promised me? Was it my fault? Was I not lovable?

Romantic love. It seems like everyone wants it. It certainly is big business, but is it good business? Does it promise something it can’t deliver? Romantic love sells products, movies, and experiences. An entire TV channel is devoted to romantic movies! Every single one has a happy ending. But it doesn’t really happen, does it? You've been hurt by the fractured fairy tale, just as I have been. If we all know that "happily ever after" isn't reality, then what is it in us that cries out for love that lasts forever?

Experts recognize that the need to be loved is basic to every human being. If that is so, then there can only be one reason: We are God-wired for love. Why? Because you and I are made to be loved by Him. he has hard-wired us to want to be loved unconditionally, unceasingly, and unapologetically. The problem is that, as in so many other areas of life, we look for that need to be met in an earthly and natural way, rather than in a heavenly and supernatural way.

What’s The Story of Your Life in 2021?

February 20, 2021 Cathleen Zahradnik

“For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better.” ‭Philippians‬ ‭1:21‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I am a reader. I have been since childhood. When I was about middle-school age a family member gave me a bookmark that said, “My books are friends that never fail me.” That sums up my childhood relationship with books. I depended on that steady friendship.

At one time, reading was my method of escape and adventure. I could go places in my imagination that weren’t possible in my real life. I could imagine myself as the bold and daring lead character in the story, rather than the scared and timid girl I was.

Later on, reading became my way to learn about the world and then about being a Christian. One of my favorite types of books to read is biographies. I learn so much from reading about people. Reading about great Christians of the past inspires and challenges me. Somehow those people lived for Christ in the midst of great difficulty, at great cost and accomplished great things for Him.

I don’t think anyone will ever write a book about my life, but I want to live that way. Their inspiring stories challenge me to wonder: What does it mean to live for Christ in 2021? In the midst of a global pandemic? Let’s think about that together.

It means to live without fear. Living without fear...at all? Fear is a natural reaction to danger. God made us with the ability to fear for our own protection. So, no fear at all is not really the goal. But, there is a difference between healthy fear for our protection and the kind of fear that keeps us from really living for Christ.

What’s Your Opinion? The Foundation of What Really Matters

January 30, 2021 Cathleen Zahradnik

“So this is my prayer: that your love will flourish and that you will not only love much but well. Learn to love appropriately. You need to use your head and test your feelings so that your love is sincere and intelligent, not sentimental gush. Live a lover’s life, circumspect and exemplary, a life Jesus will be proud of: bountiful in fruits from the soul, making Jesus Christ attractive to all, getting everyone involved in the glory and praise of God.” ‭‭Philippians‬ ‭1:9-11‬ ‭MSG‬‬

Four-letter words. Four-letter words are often the kinds of words that a follower of Jesus should avoid, right? But there is a four-letter word that I have been paying a lot of attention to lately: NEWS. When I pay attention to TV news I try to only watch the evening news because that report tells me what is happening, not what someone thinks about what is happening. 24-hour news is the worst thing that ever happened to broadcast journalism because in order to fill all that time, the networks bring on “experts” to talk about events. So, instead of 24-hours of news we end up with a half hour of actual news reports and 23 and a 1/2 hours of opinions. And everybody has got an opinion about what is happening, don’t they?

Do opinions matter? Of course! Opinions indicate the condition of our hearts. In some ways, our opinions reveal what we are founding our lives on. What’s your foundation, my friend? Have you considered that? What do your opinions about all that is happening in our world reveal about you?

Ending 2020! You’ve Come Farther Than You Realize

December 26, 2020 Cathleen Zahradnik

“Let them praise the Lord for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭107:8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

2020 is almost over! Perhaps you are already beginning to look ahead and celebrate that this unusual, difficult year is coming to a close. Whatever is coming in 2021, it’s got to be better than this, right? But what if looking ahead too fast caused you to miss something significant? In a year like 2020 it can be easy to lose track of what God has been doing in your life. But, even in 2020, God is writing your story...and it is an amazing one! Think about it: What is your story? Where were you this time a year ago? 5 years ago? Ten years ago?

One of the traps people have always fallen into is forgetting where they have come from. Read the Old Testament and you'll see it over and over again. When God's people were going through hard times they forgot what God had already done for them and missed the chance to celebrate it.

Life At 80: Live, Learn, Give

August 31, 2019 Cathleen Zahradnik

Do you ever wonder what you will be like when you reach the age of eighty? Do you imagine yourself sitting on a porch rocking chair and reminiscing about the good old days? Let me give you a different picture. This weekend, my dad turns eighty and one thing he refuses to do is to sit and remember. When I reach the age of eighty, I want to keep living, learning and giving like my dad.

If you will indulge me for a few minutes, I”d like to honor Dad and let him know what I am learning from his example. Here’s what your life at 80 could look like.

Life is meant to be lived. Dad, I have never known you to live in a state of reminiscence. It’s not that you don't think back on things, but you don't live there. You have always been one to be thinking ahead. I imagine that made you good at your IBM job. Doesn’t that seem like a long time ago? Your life has been so full since you retired because thinking ahead keeps you living. Now, you and Mom are traveling so much, I can’t keep track of your trips. You finish one excursion and start planning the next. You have been so many places and tried so many things. And you aren’t letting more birthdays slow that down. You continue to go new places and do new things. You continue to live your life forward, not looking back. You live now and don’t consider your best living behind you. At least, you don't appear to. Living forward is what keeps you from getting old. Thanks, Dad.

Learning lasts a lifetime.

3 Things I Learn From The Ocean

August 24, 2019 Cathleen Zahradnik

If your life is like mine, it seems to just whiz by. Even at the most mundane times in life the days seem to pass more and more quickly. It can be so difficult to grasp what is moving at light speed. A few days by the ocean is always a treasured time for me. The lull of the waves, the warmth of the sand and the shade of the umbrella as the breeze surrounds me all unite to bring me to a stop inside so that I can truly rest and so that I can better hear what God might be saying to me in the midst of my life. We all need some of that , don’t we?

So, as I spend a few days by the ocean, here are a few things I am learning:

Am I Distracted?

July 13, 2019 Cathleen Zahradnik

NOTE: This article appears in the summer edition of “The Encourager”, a quarterly publication for ministry women in the New Your MInistry Network.

Martha gets bad a rap. The truth is, as committed Christ-followers, we are all Martha. We may not want to admit it or we may totally and hopelessly own it, but when it comes to serving Jesus we are so much more about getting it done than just being at His feet as Mary is described in Luke 10:38-42. But aren’t we supposed to serve Him whole-heartedly? He’s worth it, isn’t He? What’s wrong with falling into bed exhausted…every night…because of my ministry and family responsibilities?

Martha didn’t have it all wrong. In fact, she had a lot right. But when Jesus corrected Martha it wasn’t her behavior He was correcting. It was her priority. Notice I used that word in the singular. The word “priorities" is actually a relatively new one. Originally the word was singular, meaning the ONE important thing. Martha was “distracted with much serving” (v. 40) and after her request to Jesus for Mary’s help Jesus told her, “One thing is needed and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her." Jesus redirected Martha’s priority.

There is always a danger for those of us who serve of being distracted by our service.