Christian Goal Setting

Should a Christian Set Goals?

There seems to be a struggle for Christians in figuring out the appropriate balance between trusting God too waiting on Him too actively doing our operate. Trusting in our ain abilities to attain God’s work is the ane extreme patch non taking activeness when we should is the other extreme.

I struggle with this issue from time to time and was helped by an article that I plant life lately.

No plans too no goals

The author starts yesteryear pointing out iii faulty assumptions of those who made no plans in addition to laid no goals:

1. They think their feelings are an infallible guide for sensing the leading of the Spirit. But l-l Jesus did non select this mental mental attitude, for when he prayed inwards the garden, “If it is possible, permit this loving loving cup exceed from me” (Matt 26:39), he was clearly indicating (amid other things) that emotionally he would prefer non to human face upwards the cross.
2. They believe that the Holy Spirit leads people only inwards a spontaneous way. That is, he does non displace them to gear upwards plans. But Paul made plans (visit, for trial, Acts 15:36; Rom 1:xiii), the apostles made plans (Acts half-dozen:1-3), together with degree Jesus himself made plans (Matt 10:v-xv; xvi:21; 26:17-xix). Surely we cannot claim that these men were not Spirit-led inward their planning.
3. They subconsciously turn down the idea that they tin flaming listen the Spirit’sec voice through the Scriptures. But yesteryear abandoning the Word of God as their normative guide, they are assuming that the Holy Spirit commonly circumvents the Word when he speaks to men. This is hardly the stance of the Spirit-led men of the yesteryear times (run across, for example, Ps 119:ix-xvi; Matt iv:iv; v:17; 2 Tim three:xv-17).

Personally, I strongly concur with point #three. I received some expert instruction that anything that the Holy Spirit is leading us to do should not disagree with the Bible. At the same time, the Bible is God’s news in addition to therefore tin locomote taken as pedagogy from God.

Holding every bit good tightly to plans and goals

The reverse extreme is to exist so engrossed inward our plans too what we are doing that nosotros ignore when God is giving us management. It tin terminate live on real like shooting fish inward a barrel to allow pride get in the means by continuing to do what nosotros shouldn’t simply to preserve face. The article mentions how Paul made adjustments to his plans on multiple occasions on his missionary journeys (Acts 16:6-vii).

“Herein is balance: although Paul planned, he was sensitive to the Lord altering his plans.”

James iv:13-fifteen

13Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage inwards line concern as good as prepare a earnings.”

14Yet yous do non know what your life testament terminal like tomorrow. You are but a vapor that appears for a petty slice and together with so vanishes away.

xvInstead, yous ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we testament handgrip out too also do this or that.”

The article points out how James brings the salubrious residuum to the upshot:

In James iv, the writer specifically addresses the 1 who sets his goals inwards concrete: “Come similar a shot, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow, we shall croak to such inward plus to such a metropolis, as well as pass a twelvemonth in that location too engage inwards line as well as brand a profits.’ Yet you lot do non know what your life testament endure similar tomorrow. You are simply a vapor that appears for a piddling piece and together with then vanishes away” (vv. thirteen-xiv).

James calls such rigidity arrogance ( v. xvi). But he does non say that we should non set goals. Rather, nosotros should cook plans, but submit them to the Lord: “Instead, yous ought to to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we shall live together with also do this or that'” (v. xv).

In reality, James 4:15 balances out both extremes. We should use our minds and set goals, but we must do so in humility, recognizing that God lone controls our destiny.

I tend to lean a chip to the side of planning together with relying on them too much. But God is piece of cake getting it through my thick skull that He is capable of a lot to a greater extent than I am. Seeing the fruit of the times when I succeeded inward letting Him handgrip out God over a say of affairs, it is so truthful.