Goals in life are important. No one would deny that. Why is it, then, that we have trouble achieving the goals that we set? When setting goals of any kind, too often we get hasty and overconfident. How many can relate to setting a goal for the new year only to give up a week or two later? Spiritual goals more often than not suffer the same fate. We need to plan out our goals so that we have the best chance of succeeding.  Otherwise, we set ourselves up for failure before we even begin.

Our goals need to be clearly defined. In Hebrews 12:1 our spiritual life is compared to a race that we are running. I like this analogy because a race has a clearly defined goal: the finish line. We know how far it is from the start line to the finish line. We know exactly where the finish line is. We know when the race is. If we decide that our goal is to “run more” and never define the goal past that point, how far do we have to go to achieve that goal? I can run across the yard and say that I ran more. We can all see the nonsense in that. However, what if I say that at least 4 times per week, I am going to run for 30 minutes in the morning. That is a clearly defined goal that is quantifiable. I’d like to use the example of reading our Bible. A goal often set by Christians is to “read the Bible more.” What exactly does that mean? How much are you going to read? When will you read it? What passages will you read? These questions appear so necessary to the goal, and indeed they are. However, simple questions like this are often left unanswered and, consequently, our goals are left undefined.

Don’t go it alone. When running a race, I for one like to have someone running beside me. It is so easy to give up when you are alone. Your body gives out and you feel like you’ve had enough. You look around and see that there’s no one running beside you, and you start to feel like you are the only one even trying. This can be depressing. After a while you start to question whether the goal is worth all the effort. With a person running by our side, we can lean on each other and encourage each other. When trying to read the scriptures on a regular basis, get someone to read with you: maybe a friend or a spouse. This goes hand-in-hand with the next point.

Be accountable to someone. Many times, we cheat on our goals. Maybe we planned on reading three chapters, but instead we only read one. Perhaps we skipped entire days. Before you know it, you are behind in your goal and catching up may be difficult or impossible. Have someone check on your progress. When you have someone alongside of you trying to reach the same goal, this becomes easy. Push each other. Make sure that daily goals are met. Don’t allow excuses to be made. When these things are done, you will find setting and accomplishing goals to be much easier. 
Our ultimate goal is Heaven. Philippians 3:14 reads “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Let’s all encourage one another and help each other in our goals to improve ourselves spiritually. We are all running after the same goal of Heaven. “So run that you may obtain it.” (1 Cor 9:24)

Life often presents us with a fundamental question: “What’s next?” This wondering transcends age and experience. Whether you’re a teenager on the cusp of adulthood, a recent graduate exploring new horizons, or even a seasoned individual with years of wisdom, the desire to understand life’s direction, especially in alignment with a higher purpose, is a common thread. Many of us strive to decipher God’s will for our lives, hoping it will reveal the secret to a happy and fulfilling existence.

Understanding God’s Will - Beyond Your Circumstances:

For many, understanding God’s will can feel like solving a jigsaw puzzle. We might believe that God has a precise picture for our lives, and our task is simply to put the pieces together. This perspective often leads us to ask questions like: “Should I attend this particular college?”; “Should I take this job?”; “Is this difficulty a sign this isn’t God’s will?” or even, “As I reflect on life, have I genuinely fulfilled the unique purpose God had for me?” While the desire to align our lives with God’s will is commendable, this line of questioning often reflects a common misunderstanding.

A frequent misapplication of Jeremiah 29:11, which states, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord,” contributes to this confusion. In its original context, it represented a promise of restoration and hope for Judah as they went into Babylonian captivity, not a universal directive for individual life choices.

God’s Will - A Focus on Character

However, living out God’s will for your life is much simpler than we imagine. It’s less about being in the right set of circumstances and more about being the right kind of person. Consider these verses:

• After discussing the Christian's need to walk in the love of Christ and rejecting immoral living, Paul adds, “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of your time, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” (Ephesians 5:15-17)

• Paul instructed the Thessalonians on the will of God by saying, “Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more. For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness." (1 Thessalonians 4:1-7)

• Beyond living a sanctified life, Paul also implored, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

• Finally, Peter, writing to persecuted Christians, revealed, “For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.” (1 Peter 2:15)

These passages highlight a clear pattern: God’s will for your life centers on your character and your actions. It’s about striving for sanctification, cultivating a spirit of rejoicing and prayer, and actively doing good. You might find yourself in what seems like the “perfect” circumstances, yet if your character isn’t aligned with God’s principles, what good would that do? God’s will, when viewed through the lens of Scripture, is straightforward. It encourages us to explore His word to understand the kind of person He calls us to be.

NT WRIGHT, a well-known Bible scholar and author was once asked following a lengthy and deep lecture to a group of university students, “How old does a child need to be before they can begin understanding the love of God and His divine nature?”

NT paused but only for a second, “Well I suppose perhaps five minutes old”. You could see in the eyes of the interviewer, and you could sense from the audience the astonishment and surprise at this unexpected answer.

“You see”, NT continued, “A child should experience the love of God the minute they’re held in the arms of their parents.” This is God’s divine nature and His plan for every child.

I have to be transparent, honest about my first reaction to this question. My mind was anticipating some exposition from scripture on the “age-of-accountability”. But accountability with and this understanding of God’s nature and love begins from the moment a newborn breathes. A loving home, safe, stable and provided for by their mother and father.

This picture shows a father, loving his newborn adopted daughter. He isn’t the biological father of this child, but he and his wife became her father and mother and provided a home she did not have available to her. All adoptions start in a dark place…including ours.

I can still remember shortly after my own baptism, living in a rather dysfunctional home and without a good relationship with my father and reading verses such as, “But now, O Lord, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You,  our potter; And all we are the work of Your hand.” Isaiah 64:8. And then finding so many more statements and reminders of this Father and child relationship, “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! “ 1 John 3:1. Then of course there is “The Lord’s Prayer” which begins, “Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. ¹⁰ Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. ¹¹ Give us this day our daily bread.” Matthew 6:9-11

These and hundreds of others [15 in the OT] God is referred to as “Father”. This is a powerful, meaningful and personal metaphor that creates many varied applications, examples and insights into our relationship with the Creator, God Almighty and His Son Jesus our Lord and Savior. It was all of these for me many years ago when I came to realize the significance that while my connections to an earthly father was weak the connection to my heavenly Father was deep, real and everlasting, just as Paul said, “³⁸ For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, ³⁹ nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39.

By faith, with trust and obedience this cornerstone is laid in God’s foundation for life. The significance of this cannot be overstated.

Over the years, this “epiphany” story has been told many times to teens, young men and women, even those later in life who still struggle with the loss, pain and the consequences of having no father, an absent father or an abusive father relationship. God CAN BE and IS YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER.

Luke records a tender yet powerful reminder of our Fathers care, “¹¹ If a son asks for ^[e]bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? ¹² Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? ¹³ If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” Luke 11:11-13

A recent survey found that seventy-two percent of Americans believe that fatherlessness in our country is the most significant challenge to our families and society at large. We need and God expects us to be strong, loving, nurturing fathers, “⁴ And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.” Ephesians 6:4

We should always honor, respect and expect men to be good fathers.