Godly Goals Have Eternity in Mind

By Rick Warren

I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step. 1 Corinthians 9:26 (NLT)

"Do my goals help me know God, grow in God, serve God, share God, love God, tell others about God?"

God's purposes for your life aren't just for here; they are forever and ever and ever. If you think this life is all there is, then you will set goals as if this life is all there is.

On the other hand, if you realize one day you are going to stand before God and he's going to say, ‘What did you do while I put you on earth? Did you learn the things I put there to learn?  Did you trust my son?’ – Then, it will shape how you look at your goals.

Do my goals help me know God, grow in God, serve God, share God, love God, tell others about God?

What I'm asking you is, for instance, how do you pray? When you pray, do you pray to get God to help you with your own purpose or do you pray to align yourself with God's purpose?  If you say, ‘God, I just want to do what you put me on earth to do,’ I guarantee you, God will bless everything you touch because God is looking for people he can use to fulfill his purposes.

Romans 6:13 says, “Do not use any part of yourselves to sin or to be used for wicked purposes. Instead, give yourselves to God … and surrender your whole being to him to be used for righteous purposes.”

Godly goals have eternity in mind. Paul gives an example of this when he says, “I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step.” (1 Corinthians 9:26 NLT) Paul was a Purpose Driven runner! He refused to be distracted.

The Bible often compares life to a race, so I want you to think about this -- in a race, you don't get to set the end. The finish line is already predetermined. And you make progress one step at a time.

The same is true with goals. You work on them one step at a time and you work with purpose in every step.