Philippians 3:13-14

Press Toward the Goal

“Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14

Paul said he had “one” thing to do. If you are like me you probably have several directions you are trying to go and some of them may be in opposite directions! Of course, Paul was talking about his main goal and not his daily schedule. As we know from the Bible, Paul was a busy man, but his activity was focused toward the one overarching goal.

You may have received an email or have heard about the Daniel Plan that is being advertised. It is a plan for both physical and spiritual health in 2015. This plan has some advice about goal setting:

Setting goals is a spiritual discipline. Goals stretch you and help you become all God wants you to be. Setting goals will give a destination for your vision. Move forward toward health in all areas of life by creating SMART goals (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound) in response to your results from the Five Essentials survey.

Specific goals are clear. Tell your brain exactly what is expected and why it’s important. A specific goal usually answers who, what, when, where, why.

Measurable emphasizes tangible benchmarks. If a goal is not measurable, it is not possible to know whether you are making progress. A measurable goal usually answers how much and by when.

Attainable means the goals need to be realistic, even though dreams can be big. Extreme goals usually invite failure and frustration.

Relevant means you choose goals that matter and answer yes to these questions: Does this seem worthwhile? Is this the right time? Does this match your other efforts/needs? Being relevant also means your goals are relevant to God and bring him glory. Any goal that brings you closer to him and makes you want to serve him and others is a goal that matters.

Time-bound emphasizes attaining the goal within a certain time frame. A deadline helps you focus on completion of the goal on or before the due date.

Once you’ve determined your SMART goals, share them with a friend. People getting healthy together lose twice as much weight as those who do it alone. That success dramatically increases when you are connected with others, receiving constant encouragement. Consider inviting some friends to do the six-week Daniel Plan study together.

I do hope and pray that the Lord Jesus Christ and his kingdom/church will be the central theme of your goals in 2015. Whatever plans you embark upon in 2015, be sure that it includes the Lord.

“Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you. Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.” 1 Corinthians 9:23-25


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