Goal-Setting for Christians
Why and How To Set Goals As a Jesus-Follower
Yes, Jesus-followers should set goals to live their God-given purposes. Here’s why and a framework for how.
Shouldn’t we just pray and then leave the results to God?
Quite often I’ve heard, even experienced Christians, say, “I tried setting goals, but it didn’t work, so now I just pray, do my best, and trust God with the rest.”
No doubt about it, all kinds of solid research shows that most people, Jesus-followers or not, have not been very successful when it comes to reaching goals. Over 80% of the population give up on their goals within 6 weeks of setting them.
So, because a large percentage of the population fails, that means we shouldn’t try it, right? We all know better than that.
This also means that some people are seeing their lives and the lives of the people they serve improve because they have learned the power of effective goal setting and goal achievement.
Jesus Was and Is a Goal-Setter
Right before He went to the cross, Jesus prayed, “I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to accomplish.” John 17:4
How could Jesus pray that prayer with such confidence? Because He knew God’s plan, He knew the goals, and He accomplished them. As He died on the cross He even prayed, “It is finished.”
He knew what the plan of God was for His life and He did it.
That’s what God wants for each one of us.
God set purposes and plans for us before time began (2 Timothy 1:9). He planned out good works we should do to help people and build His kingdom. (Ephesians 2:10). That means He set goals for our lives.
Jesus Worked a Strategic Plan
What would you do if you knew you only had 3 1/2 years to accomplish the most important mission in the history of the world? Would you just pray and then do whatever and trust that God would make that mission happen?
Jesus didn’t do that. When you study what He did with His time, it was very focused and planned. He used large group strategies to sow the seeds of God’s message to many people. But He spent most of His time with a small group of future leaders who would carry on when He was gone.
Jesus stopped at times to minister to people on the way. But please notice, He was always on the way to somewhere. He would say “no” to people’s requests for Him to stay longer because He knew God’s goals and He stayed on track.
I could give many more examples from Scripture of people who set specific, God-inspired goals and with God’s help achieved them, but that’s too much to cover in one article.
Christians Can And Should Become Goal Achieving Experts
Imagine how different our lives and our world would be if we learned how to receive the specific plans, purpose, and goals God has for our life. Imagine the confidence, the focus, the faith we would have to move forward in godly power.
Imagine what life would be like if we then learned how to cooperate with God, to receive His grace and power, and then accomplish those goals and purposes one after another.
How would that change the world? How would that change your life and world?
I believe God wants us to learn this and He wants to help us live this way.
How To Set And Achieve God-Goals
- Keep your devotional life with Jesus primary.
Jesus is THE KEY to everything in the Christian life, so do whatever steps you need to in order to engage with Him every day in His words and prayer.
2. Write down the main purpose categories for your life. This is your Framework.
I use 5: Christ, Christlikeness, Commandment, Calling, Commission.
3. Pray and ask God to highlight or give you peace in your soul regarding which of these should be your goal priority during this season of life.
I typically set 1–2 transformation goals each quarter and maintenance goals for the other areas of my life. If it is a major goal, 1 or 2 at a time is all anyone can handle, even with God’s help.
I can’t only focus on those 1–2 goals I believe God wants me to work on and neglect every other area of life. So I keep in mind what needs to be done to maintain those other areas of life.
4. Write down your plan.
Yes, Jesus-followers should make God-inspired plans. God gave us His words and plans in writing. David wrote down specific plans on how the temple should be built and gave them to his son, Solomon.
Research shows that people who actually write down their plan AND when they are going to do it, accomplish goals at a much higher rate than people who set mental goals only.
5. Write down the obstacles you will most likely face and how you’ll deal with them.
I’m sure you’ve noticed, every great goal will face resistance at some point. Nothing great is accomplished in this world without some type of challenge, set-back or failure.
When I am mentally and emotionally prepared for this, I’m in a much better place to push through or pivot to get around the obstacle.
6. Use Biblical Tools of Transformation found in Scripture to stay connected to God and make positive changes.
New goals mean moving into new territory. It means making positive changes in our lives and in the world.
That means we will need to grow; experience a new level of personal transformation in order to achieve the goal.
There are many transformation tools found in Scripture that are given by God that really work. Some of them are Scriptural proclamations, prayer, repentance, meditation, and the right kind of human support.
As with any tool, you get better with it through practice. Make practicing with Transformation Tools a key part of goal acheiving.
7. Take Action and Adjust.
The hardest part of goal achievement is taking action. I’ve found, though, that when the first 6 steps are in place, taking action becomes much, much, easier.
Realizing that God never condemns a believer (Romans 8:1) and loves it when we take faith steps, we see action as learning experiences as we endeavor to help others.
We have a “disciple/learner” mentality realizing that we will learn and get better at achieving God-goals as we try, as we move out of our prayer place and into the market place.
Practically, give each day your best, then review in the evening. Celebrate wins, learn from mistakes, then adjust to keep moving forward.
You Really Can Do This!
I’ve been following this type of process for decades, and I continue to improve the process all the time. Learning to stay connected to Jesus and live from His power and for His purposes is a life-long journey.
But if you take these 7 steps, they are a great starting point to knowing and living God’s purposes and goals for your life.
God made you to know Him and accomplish significant work in this world.
YOU CAN DO THIS!
- If you want more resources on how to live a Jesus-centered, Jesus-empowered life check out www.TruVineMission.com
- If you want support in knowing and living your God-given purposes check out www.MarkFurlongCoaching.com
