It never fails, as one year ends and another is about to begin, whether we read a book, watch TV, or listen to the radio, we are flooded with messages about setting goals for the New Year.

So, what does the Bible say about goal setting?

First, the Bible establishes how important it is for all of us to have goals. Plus, we shouldn't just make goals regarding our vocation; we should also make goals for our personal lives and our marriage.

Whether you love them or hate them, goals are important. Let's face it, none of us enjoy going to bed at night knowing we've wasted our day away.

This is because we all love the feeling of accomplishment. But it is hard to accomplish anything without a goal.
I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
(Phil. 3:14)

Write the vision, and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it.
(Hab. 2:2)
The message in these scriptures is clear: without clear, written goals for our lives, our marriages will lack the motivation we need to drive us to strive towards God's perfect plan for our relationship with our spouse.

Secondly, the Bible makes a case for teamwork. In Matthew 18:19, Jesus says, "Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven."

As married couples, we have that powerful agreement at our fingertips. Beyond that, we have a wealth of resource in our spouse if we choose to see him/her as a teammate.
Your spouse may be a:
  • Cheerleader: a source of continual encouragement
  • Strategist: someone who puts together a detailed plan
  • Visionary: someone who sees the big picture and is able to inspire you
  • Marathon Runner: a persistent person who runs through fatigue and hard places
  • Coach: someone who has the experience & patience to teach you how to succeed
The bottom line is that you can accomplish much more as a team than you can accomplish alone.

We're In It Together
Finally, God wants us as excited about His goals as we are about our own goals. Read Haggai 1:6-9. You'll see the sad result of taking care of yourself while ignoring God completely.

How do we honor God's goals? Most basically, we can take our place in His Body by getting involved in our local church.

God won't allow your service to Him to become a detriment to accomplishing your own goals. As it says in Matthew 6:33, when we honor God's goals and put Him first, He will help us achieve our goals as well.

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