What goals have you set for yourself? Is there an over-arching goal that trumps all the other goals?

I have many goals I have set for myself. Such as, work out 3 times a week, read 3 books a month, read through the Bible once a year, spend more time with the family, etc. However, these are not my ultimate goals. They are goals that are subservient to the ultimate goal I have. And that is: to reflect the worth of Christ through my word and deed.

Do you have such a goal for your life? What are you living for? What are you working toward? How would you know your life is a success?

The Apostle Paul was a determined man. Undoubtedly, what made him great is his unwavering dedication to the goal he has set for himself:

“My goal is to know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.” Philippians 3:10

His desire to know Jesus was so great that he wanted to suffer like Jesus did! Did you catch that? He WANTED TO SUFFER so that he could become like Jesus who suffered.

That is the type of love unheard of. Perhaps a young parent could identify with that kind of love for his/her child. When Sennah was a toddler, she fell off the bed, while sleeping, onto the floor. I went up on that same bed and rolled off the bed just to feel the impact of that fall on myself. I wanted to know what the impact my child felt was like!

Perhaps you and I won’t be able to set such goals for ourselves as the great Apostle did. But at the least, we must have some kind of goal to put Christ in the forefront. If not, we will simply drift along with the world, down to the precipice, to our eternal death…

PH