Seeking First His Kingdom

0/10622 – 01/13/22

Godly Goals

By Michael Youssef, Ph D.  01/07/22

In Luke 9:62, Jesus said, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” Jesus is saying that half-hearted commitments do not count. To give a full commitment to God, we must intentionally look ahead.

Worldly goals and ambitions have a way of disappointing us. If we have a life goal that is our ultimate focus, what happens when we meet that goal? After the initial exhilaration of accomplishment, we feel dejected that we no longer have anything to chase after. There is no room left for ambition because we have fulfilled our desire.

But godly goals do not disappoint because the work of the Kingdom is never done. When we commit to fully serving Christ, we soon realize that our goals on this earth are enduring. Our service, prayer, and witnessing are never complete. There is always more to do for the glory of God, a deeper relationship to be had with God, and infinite wonders to be proclaimed about God to a world that desperately needs Him (see Psalm 40:5; Job 9:10). We have a mission that lasts our entire lives—to glorify God and make Him known. We have the race set before us, and God wants us to stay focused on finishing well for our good and for the good He has planned for us to do in His name.

What is in your past that is holding you back from pressing forward? What is distracting you from running the race with all your strength? “You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth?” (Galatians 5:7) As you consider your goals in this new year, do not get bogged down in your past failures or successes. Instead, pray for a God-given desire to work toward the future.

Prayer: Father, as I look forward in this new year, I pray that I would have godly goals that will keep me focused on the future, not on my past. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

“‘Men of Galilee,’ they said, ‘why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven'” (Acts 1:11).