Do you genuinely desire God's best for your life, or are you willing to settle for what you can accomplish in your own strength? Often times someone will say, "I just want to be successful." That can mean many different things. When I use the term, I am talking not about success just for the sake of success, but rather about desiring what God wants for a person's life.

    Spiritually, success can be defined as "becoming the person God desires each of us to be and accomplishing His goals for our life." Scripture shows us that much of success begins with proper goal-setting. In fact, Hebrews 13:5indicates what our goals should not be: "Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, 'I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you." Notice that the writer of Hebrews did not say, "Let your character be free from money." Instead, he is warning that our life and character should not be driven by the love of money. In other words, if your idea of success is accumulating as much wealth as possible so you can feel secure, then you have missed the whole point—true success is becoming more like Christ and making His priorities our own.

Biblical Examples

    So what is meant by "goal"? It is a purpose, aim, or sense of direction toward which we move all of our energy, desire, and effort. A high priority goal will motivate gearing our entire life toward its accomplishment. Throughout Scripture, God gave His followers a specific purpose. As they pursued that aim, He always gave assurance He was with them and would provide the resources to accomplish it.

    Noah is one instance of someone putting all his energy into achieving a goal. God instructed him to build a seaworthy vessel and provided all the building instructions. Therefore, the goal that Noah had set for his life was actually determined by God—constructing an ark in order to save civilization.

    David is another example. He stepped up to face Goliath, who was threatening God's people. Because the reward for killing the Philistine giant included the king's daughter, exemption from taxes, and great wealth (1 Samuel 17:25), some people assume David entered the contest for personal gain. However, his words reveal his ultimate incentive was to glorify almighty God. (1 Samuel 17:46-47)

    One of the most goal-oriented people in the Bible is the highly motivated apostle Paul. Not one to waste time, he had an overwhelming sense of purpose, direction, and commitment. Prior to his conversion, he was the Pharisee known as Saul of Tarsus—the aggressive enemy of the church, doing everything in his power to destroy Christians and wipe out the very name of Jesus. As soon as he was saved, however, the Spirit of God came upon him, anointing him for the work the Lord called him to accomplish. Notice that " . . . immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, 'He is the Son of God'" (Acts 9:20, emphasis added). The moment Saul was saved, his goal changed from persecuting Christians to proclaiming the name of Jesus and the message of His resurrection to as many people as possible, as quickly as possible.

    Then in Acts 13:3, the church sent Paul on his first missionary journey. God gave him the goal of penetrating the world with the simple truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He undoubtedly asked the Lord to reveal how to strategize in order to communicate widely and effectively. The plan involved identifying the great cultural centers and transportation crossroads of the day so that the message would gain widespread exposure. Paul's purpose entailed finding a small group of people, undergirding them with truth, and watching the Gospel spread through them. The apostle's example shows us that when we focus on a God-given goal, the Lord will move heaven and earth to enable us to achieve it.

Paul's Priority Goal Should Also Be Ours

    What was Paul's foremost goal that motivated him above all else? It was to know the Lord Jesus Christ in a deep, personal way (Philippians 3:8-11), and to such a degree that he would be conformed to the likeness of the Son of God. The Scriptures say that God has the same priority for your life and mine: "For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren" (Romans 8:29). In other words, by whatever means God deems necessary, our character is to be shaped like the character of Jesus. Paul identified this purpose as the driving force of his life, for which he was willing to leave all else behind. (Philippians 3:13-14) The apostle's goals were clear: he wanted to experience in his daily life the same kind of awesome power that raised Christ from the dead; he wanted to walk in the Spirit and serve the living God; and he wanted to reach his maximum potential.

    Paul was so dedicated to this goal that he was willing to lay down his life, if necessary, to achieve it. In Philippians 3:12, he says, "Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which I also was laid hold of by Christ Jesus." The expression press on means "to pursue zealously." In other words, Paul was absolutely committed—at all costs—to knowing the Son of God. As a result of that priority goal in his life, you and I can read Romans, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and all of Paul's other epistles. These letters contain awesome revelations and understanding of the Christian life, which the Lord revealed to no one else. Through them, we see God accomplishing in the apostle's life exactly what was in line with Paul's greatest desire: to know Him and to feverishly follow after Him.

    Despite the fact that Paul vigorously pursued his goal, he also wrote about the importance of learning contentment, regardless of circumstances. He writes, "Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:11-13). At first glance, this passage may sound contradictory to the idea of reaching a goal—does this mean I am to settle for less than I am capable of achieving? No, it does not. It is possible to be extremely content with my life and at the same time to have goals that I believe God has laid upon my heart—goals I desire to achieve and toward which I am working.

    By way of illustration, think about the "good old days" and what some people used to consider contentment. It is unlikely that any of us would choose to go back to reading by candlelight or washing clothes on a scrub board. Nor would we prefer typewriters and correction fluid to computers. We should be deeply grateful that God did not intend satisfaction to mean simply settling for what we already have. It is quite possible for me to be extremely contented with what is mine at the present moment even while I am in the process of seeking, searching, and moving toward particular goals that God has for me.

    Some people believe the Bible says we should not set goals for our life, but that is erroneous thinking. Nowhere does God tell us to stagnate and keep things exactly the way they are. The Scriptures talk about growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 3:18) Are you satisfied with what you currently know about God? Are you so content with your relationship with Christ that you have no intention of deepening your bond by growing spiritually? Are you satisfied with what you presently know about the Bible? The truth is that God places in every believer's heart an insatiable hunger and thirst for more of Him and His Word. Here is the paradox: Our relationship with the Lord can bring about genuine fulfillment and contentment, even while there is at the same time an undercurrent of dissatisfaction—a yearning to know more, to grow deeper, to better understand His ways, and to grasp what real intimacy with Him is all about.

    Some people incorrectly assume that goalsetting does not apply to them, but it is applicable for every child of God. Your heavenly Father has a purpose for your life, and He has planned the best for you. He desires that you succeed in whatever He has called you to be and to do. When your purpose and priorities are in line with God's and you set goals accordingly, He will do absolutely amazing things in your life.

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