Two Enduring Goals

New Year's resolutions. We have probably all made some at one time or another. Maybe some we kept for some time, others we likely let fall away. Usually they aren't the kind of things that command a long term commitment. I had intended to sit down in January and work through a goal sheet I had forwarded to me from one of my sister-in-laws. But life took over and I never got around to it. But my desire for setting some significant goals has remained. Fortunately, this desire was answered recently through a book I just finished reading.

 A friend sent me the book "The Mystery of God's Will" by Charles Swindoll. As I was reading the last chapter, Swindoll shared two enduring goals he has. I was very excited reading the section and agreed heartily with what he wrote. Now I have words to share what my greatest desires are, not just for this year, but for the rest of my life. Here is the excerpt from his book:
"I have two enduring goals in life. First and foremost, I desire to learn how to think biblically. I want to see life through the lens of God's eyes for the rest of my days. I don't want to argue with Him, but I desperately desire to obey Him. And so I want to see life, whether it be struggle or joy, whether it be loss or gain, through God's perspective.

I want to be able to turn to the Scriptures and find direction and help. And when I can't find answers, I want to trust and to wait for God, even when I can't understand the reason behind where I'm going. And I want to have inner peace through all of that. . . True contentment. . .

And coming in a close second, I want to encourage other people to do the same thing. I want to help them know how to do what I am learning to do."
These goals are not just for the present time or for the remainder of this year. They are meant to be lasting, enduring. Now I have my goals, and I will do my best to "press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me." (Philippians 3:12)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

5 Benefits of Being a Child of God

Image
In her book "Breaking Free", Beth Moore writes about five benefits God intends "to be the daily experience of every child of God." (p. 23) The first benefit is to know God and believe Him . Beth Moore writes that "one of your chief purposes on this planet is to know God intimately and with reverent familiarity. That intimate relationship begins, but was never intended to end, with what we call the 'salvation experience.' So the first question to ask yourself is, Have you received Christ as your personal Savior?" "One of the most beautiful elements of salvation is its simplicity. Christ has already done all the work on the cross. Your response includes four elements: 1) Acknowledge that you are a sinner and that you cannot save yourself. 2) Acknowledge that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and only He can save you. 3) Believe that His Crucifixion was for your personal sins and that His death was on your behalf. 4) Give Him your life and
Read more

Fuel Up with the Holy Spirit

Image
 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.” John 14:26 Once we decide to get on the road with Jesus, we discover that the Bible is like a road map for our journey; helping us to live in a way that pleases God. If we spend time in the Word everyday, we will grow to be more like Jesus. A car needs gasoline in order to work. In order for you to keep going, you have to fill the tank up. Well, just like our physical bodies need food for energy, and cars need gasoline in order to go, our spiritual bodies need a kind of fuel too. This "fuel" is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives us wisdom and energy for life. We know that God created us. We know that Jesus saved us. But you might wonder who the Holy Spirit is. In John 14:16-17 we see that before Jesus was going to die on the cross, He told the disciples that God would send another Helper to help them. This w
Read more

The First Four Commandments

Image
The first four commandments tell us how we are to conduct ourselves before God. We can fulfill these first four commands by praying about our needs, thanking and praising God, using God’s name respectfully and taking time to rest and meditate on God’s Word.  –Exodus 20:1-8 The basic code in Israel’s divine law is found in Exodus 20:2-17; elsewhere it is called the Ten Commandments. The Hebrew words for Ten Commandments literally mean “Ten Words”. (Study note for Exodus 20:1) The Ten Commandments begin with the statement “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.” (Exodus 20:1) Warren Wiersbe points out that the phrase “I am the Lord your God” is used five times in this section (vv. 3, 5, 7, 10, 12) to show that God is the authority behind these commands and they weren’t just Moses’ opinions. The study note for Exodus 20:2 tells us that the Ten Commandments reflect the structure of the treaties of the time period. First there was a preamb
Read more