Don’t just set any goals, set GODLY goals
Goals are an important part of life. They are able to make you healthy (if you actually set goals for a healthier lifestyle). You might say, but God already has a wonderful plan for us, why do we need goals? As missionaries, you might think that I will count on God to make my life useful. However, if we do nothing to make our lives useful, then are we not just letting ourselves sit around and go to waste? You might also say that you already are a missionary and God will lead me to wherever He wants. That does not mean you cannot have your own goals, but make sure your goals are G.O.D.L.Y. God wants His people to have goals, even if they may seem insignificant in God’s bigger plan, because goals will lead to the bigger plan and the ultimate goal of living eternally with God. G.O.D.L.Y. goals are some goal guidelines that may help you narrow down some goals you may want to achieve.
G represents glorify the Lord. Make sure your goals glorify God because we were made to glorify God. For example, do not set a goal to get the rest of the world to see you teaching on television so the world will see that you are a great missionary. That goal does not glorify God. The Bible tells us to be humble. If we humble ourselves, we will be exalted (Matthew 23:12). God’s plan for you is to help God reconcile with His lost children. If the goals you set does not glorify the Lord, the lost children might not think God is worthy of glory.
O means obtainable. Check to see if your goals are obtainable. In other words, the goal should be challenging, but not too challenging that the goal goes beyond what your skills, abilities, or knowledge are capable of. If the goal is too challenging, then you might not follow the goal thinking that the goal is impossible to achieve. For instance, do not set a goal to deprive yourself of sleep just to teach people the Good News. Even though teaching people the Good News is glorifying God, not getting enough sleep will increase your tiredness and might affect your attitude negatively. “One hand full of rest is better than two fists full of labor and striving after wind.” (Ecclesiastes 4:6) This goal is impossible to achieve because being human, you are not able to function properly without enough sleep.
D means determinable. How can you determine the progress of achieving your goal? If your goal is determinable, you will be able to answer these questions: How many? How much? How will I know when I have accomplished my goal? An example would be: I will raise 20,000 dollars by the end of the year, 2014, so I will be able to buy Bibles and send them to China. Having a set date or time will let you know how much you have done and how much you still need to do.
L stands for logical. A logical goal would be one that is possible to achieve and that you are able and willing to work toward. Confirm that your goal is doable. Pretend your goal is to teach an audience for eight hours straight, is that logical? Even if you are able to teach for ten hours, the audience might not be able to continue paying attention. I am not saying that teaching for eight hours is not possible, but there are many variables that can alter the results of your goal. Also if you usually teach for one hour, eight hours will probably be a stretch, so maybe having smaller goals that lead up to the major one will be more reasonable. You could set a goal to teach for two hours for one teaching, three hours for the next, and so on. The major goal will gradually seem more doable and logical as you strive toward your goal.
Y stands for yippee! Yippee is not really a guideline for setting a goal, but it can be a reminder that at the end you will feel successful that you have achieved your goal. Therefore, in your mind, you will say, “Yippee!” or some other form of praise. When you have achieved your goal, take time to celebrate! A goal was accomplished and God has helped us along the way, so the “Yippee!” should not only go to yourself, but God.
We should create G..O.D.L.Y. goals and press on toward them because in the end, God calls us to receive the heavenly prize (Philippians 3:14). God wants His people to have goals, even if they may seem insignificant to God’s bigger plan, because goals will lead to the bigger plan and the ultimate goal of living eternally with God.
Glorify the Lord
Obtainable
Determinable
Logical
Yippee!
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