Setting Goals in SPIRIT
Over the past few weeks, Monday Meditations has been exploring ideas and thoughts about setting goals and creating growth plans that help us, as Corpath members strive for excellence in BUSINESS and LIFE and SPIRIT. This is the final post in the series.
1 Timothy 4:7-8 and various others
I love seeing people reach their goals. There is a certain excitement and exuberance in them that is infectious and motivating. I have seen it in staff, coworkers, friends, family and even myself.
Reflecting on my professional career, I remember setting many goals when we were busy launching the media business in Canada. There were many unknowns to us at the time as we drafted a plan that started from “zero”, but could we make it happen? We recognized what we wanted to do but were uncertain if we could make it happen.
Thinking about the goals we had made at the time, they seemed impossible at the outset. Could we increase revenue by 50% in the 2nd year? Could we acquire more than 100,000 readers in a day? Could we hire the top talent required to take us to new levels? It all seemed daunting.
Despite the uncertainty, we pressed on knowing that achieving these goals would bring about the desired future for the business and our team members. We began to appreciate the potential in these “not too distant future” plans. We worked hard and eventually enjoyed the rewards. We celebrated as we achieved and surpassed many of our plans. Now, all that’s left are the memories.
The same could be said about personal life growth plans as well. I have created many goals and pursued dreams that have sometimes been achieved. It felt great to lose those 10 pounds that had been hanging on forever. It was encouraging to finally understand a conversation in another language after studying for a long time. Reading through the Bible in a year is a great personal goal, and I have done it a couple of times in my life. Checking things off my bucket list is so exciting! And yet, while these things help me live a better life now, will they matter in eternity?
Building a successful business mattered to me at the time, but I know it simply won’t make any difference in eternity. Standing at the pearly gates one day, I won’t be questioned about my business endeavours or meeting corporate conditions to gain entrance into Heaven. I don’t believe I will be questioned about successfully achieving my personal fitness goals or completing enough of my bucket list to help determine whether should be allowed entrance.
Setting goals in these areas seem to have some value to us during our finite time here on earth. However, according to 1 Timothy 4:7-8, driving for spiritual growth has even more value:
“Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives’ tales. Instead, train yourself to be godly. Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.” (NLT).
Q: Do you include setting spiritual-development goals as part of your growth plan? If not, why not? If yes, what examples do you have?
We all have an idea of what it means to live a Godly life. We know about the spiritual disciplines that help us build a closer relationship with God, our Father, His Son, and the Holy Spirit when we include them in our daily journey.
Some of those spiritual disciplines include:
Daily scripture reading and study.
Prayer and meditation.
Fasting and acts of service.
Personal and corporate worship.
Spiritual reflection and submission.
Talking with other Christians about the idea of setting goals for spiritual development, this area is often the hardest to stick to. Why is that? I think the answer lies in our lack of “personal currency and metrics” in this area.
When we set business goals, we hope to achieve monetary gain for success and survival. Not just for ourselves, but also for those we have invited on our journey as well. It’s easy to appreciate the value of achieving goals on the balance sheet or profit and loss statement. The reports and data tell a story, and the bank account gives validation to our success.
When we set personal goals, we have a desire to see improvement for ourselves that is easy to measure. We see it on the scale. We receive affirmation from others. We use a calendar to decide whether we have hit the milestones in the timelines we have created.
We use these metrics to measure and inspire us to keep pressing on, and we gain more energy and excitement when results are achieved in the short term. Seeing immediate results gives momentum to continue!
So, what can we do to measure our spiritual growth? How do we receive validation that engaging in the spiritual disciplines will have value to us? Can we see results and success immediately? Often, we don’t. That’s where FAITH steps in.
The calling to a Godly lifestyle is a journey of faith. While sometimes the benefits can be seen in this life, in his letter to Timothy, Paul states that spiritual training has some value in the life to come. We engage in the spiritual disciplines that have faith that God is at work doing something good as he uses us to bring others closer to Himself and us.
Thinking again about the spiritual disciplines noted above:
Reading God’s Word daily helps us better understand ourselves and offers us direction to enjoy a life of purpose while here on earth but leading us toward eternity with Him. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
Spending time in prayer allows us to have a better know God’s will for our lives as he directs our steps here on earth that ultimately bring us to His presence (literally). (Joshua 1:8)
Fasting and engaging in acts of service encourage us to see beyond ourselves, relying on God to supply our needs and to use us to provide for those in need here on earth while helping them see glimpses of eternity. (Matthew 6:16-18)
Participating in personal and corporate worship is done to acknowledge God’s Sovereignty and accept him as the Lord of all. Doing this on earth is practice for what we will experience in heaven! (Psalm 105:1-2 and 1 Chronicles 16:29)
Taking time for reflection and submission keeps our daily lives in check. We do this now as a way of submitting to His authority on earth and will do the same in eternity. (Matthew 6:19-20)
To put it succinctly, everything we do now to train spiritually has some benefit here on earth and in the life to come! There is nothing else we do in this life that will have eternal value except to grow our spiritual selves. Faith is the motivator that keeps us engaged in growing spiritually
Q: What spiritual disciplines will you add to your growth plan? What do you expect the benefits to be?
This concludes the topic of goal-setting and creating a growth plan. Share some of your thoughts and decisions from this series with your Corpath Forum group at your next meeting. Ask them to hold you accountable to help you achieve your goals as you pursue excellence in business, life and spirit.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, you have created all things. I see that all living things continue to grow and move throughout their lifespan, and this includes me. I ask you to show those areas of my life that are lacking. Give me wisdom and will to make the changes that lead me closer to you and build a life of quality and value that will be a Godly example to others in the year ahead. In humble reverence, Amen.
Blessings always and all-ways,
Steve Shrout
President
Special Note:
If you enjoyed today’s message, then share it with someone. Also, use this content and questions as a discussion guide in your next Forum Group meeting.
Attached to this email is a printable PDF you can use to help with your meditation and reflection. I encourage you to print it, answer the questions and then keep it in a Corpath binder or folder for future reference and thought. You will receive a new PDF each week with each new Monday Meditation, and, over time, your binder will become a book representing your Corpath journey of BUSINESS thoughts, personal LIFE development and SPIRITUAL growth.
