(Maria Rikka M. Ocena)
In one game I installed on my android phone, the goal is to make the chicken cross the busy highway as far as you can without it getting hit by a car or a train. It’s quite addicting once you get your groove on and have beaten your previous score.
I was playing one night when I began to question the point of the game. Where will the road end? Why is the chicken crossing the highway? What is the real reward after I cross this long and busy lane?
There are times when I feel I am like that chicken, starting a task with enthusiasm, with a list of goals, only to end up back where I started. I make sure not to be hit by a car, but my goals are forgotten and resolutions broken.
Goals are hard to keep. Statistics show that at best, only 46% of New Year’s resolutions are still kept six months into the year. We lose interest so quickly because we set our goals too high.
Perhaps, like most people, we are aiming for the external things, a change in our physical appearance, or a new job. Maybe it’s time to shift our goals a bit and focus on what truly matters. If we want to kick start our 2017, we’ve got to work on the internal. We need to sit down with God and set some spiritual goals that will impact our hearts internally and our world on the outside. Here is how to make sure you set meaningful and achievable goals.
Be intentional about having time with God. Set the best place and time to meet with God and meditate on His words and commune with Him in prayer. Our days are busy and demand our time. For this reason, we must be intentional in our desire to grow deeper by scheduling our devotion time. Treat it as sacred before the Lord. Whether it means eliminating or lessening non-essential things in your day to set this schedule, go ahead and do it!
Be intentional in attending church services and growth groups. Take time to write your thoughts down and list prayer items and victories. Do not default to your old spiritual mode, rather seek to always engage and connect with God.
Be SMART. Choose a tangible way to live out a message you receive from the Lord. Be SPECIFIC about what you want to do. Have a goal that is MEASURABLE, ATTAINABLE, REALISTIC, and TIMEBOUND.
Be accountable. Find a friend for accountability. It is important to choose a friend who knows you and understands your desire to grow and develop a meaningful spiritual walk. Someone who will pray for and with you. Your accountability partner will be your constant cheerleader and will steadfastly motivate you to succeed. They will challenge you to live out the word of God even when it may seem impossible and they count every blessing with you no matter how small.
Focus on the end result. Your reference point is never your past, never your present, but always the future that God has stored for you. Challenging yourself to be more like Christ each day will be difficult. There will be days when you will feel incapable and discouraged. It may slow you down, but you should never stop. Having a view of how your future looks with the Lord will give you the patience to tread the Christian walk with joy and perseverance. Unlike the game where you do not know if you will get a reward or not, choosing to deepen your spiritual life will give you not only external rewards but eternal significance. Setting goals for spiritual growth is a great way to strengthen your faith in the Lord and live a meaningful, rewarding, purpose-filled life.
