Let’s talk about goal setting.
So you have something you want to do. What’s the normal human inclination?
If you have a persistent internal drive to achieve a goal then you are focused. You’re focused on achieving whatever your objective is and being successful. If you are like me then you’re probably a little lazier. You are focused but maybe you’re not putting in as much work. Maybe you’re overwhelmed by the destination or the journey to get to the destination.
What if I told you that God’s destination differs from yours? Can I challenge your thinking when it comes to the end goal?
What if I told you that your end goal, whether it be losing weight, starting in ministry, or getting A’s was not God’s end goal?
Work with me here, I have a point.
Your progress is not indicated by the destination, but your application in the process.
We usually set goals that are destinations or arrival points. We’ve trained ourselves to choose measurable targets so that when we accomplish our goals, there’s a clear indication. For example, if you notice that you have lost 5 pounds on a weight scale then there’s a clear indication that you met your goal to lose weight. It makes sense.
But that’s not how God thinks.
God’s end goal for us is to establish a process.
He wants to develop self-discipline, spiritual maturity and a reverence for His temple. That’s His ultimate goal for you. You can’t measure those things on a scale.
Your progress is not indicated by the destination, but your application in the process. While you look at the end goal of losing weight as a destination, God looks at the work it took for you to get there. He wants to develop self-discipline, spiritual maturity and a reverence for His temple. That’s His ultimate goal for you. You can’t measure those things on a scale.
Yes, we need to see the tangible results of our actions, but we also need to have conversations on the process because that is how our Heavenly Father evaluates our progress.
Many have heard the story of Joseph, Jacob’s son. He was the one with the multicolor coat.
Joseph is a story about process, not destination.
Joseph had a dream he would rule over his brothers and father. God could have fulfilled that dream in so many ways, but why did he have Joseph go through slavery in Egypt and then prison? He wanted to develop somethings in that young man.
God wanted to prune him of the pride that showed itself as Joseph announced his dream to his family. Joseph needed to learn humility in the process of serving Potiphar.
God wanted to prune him of the pride that showed itself as Joseph announced his dream to his family. Joseph needed to learn humility in the process of serving Potiphar. God wanted to develop integrity in Joseph as he had to deny his flesh and flee from the advances of Potiphar’s wife. Prison life built endurance in Joseph. It was the ultimate test to see if any of the characteristics God was developing inside of him stuck.
In the end, when Joseph ruled in Egypt as Pharaoh’s right-hand man, he knew not to worship the destination because he truly knew the God of the process.
You can set goals, but be intentional about how you achieve them.
You can set goals, but be intentional about how you achieve them. There’s a million ways to lose weight, but only one healthy way to maintain the weight loss. God’s goal is how you get where you’re going, not where you’re going.
Are you being intentional about the process?
