At the beginning of each new year, we’re flooded with reminders of ways we need to change. The parking lot at the gym is overflowing, self-help books are promoted constantly, and nearly every post in your social media feed is about how you can become the “best version of yourself” in the coming year. In an achievement-focused culture, it’s easy to become discouraged, overwhelmed, and stuck in the rut of comparison when we look at the accomplishments of others, especially when we haven’t met the goals we’ve set for ourselves in the past. Over time (and through lots of trial and error), I’ve learned that setting goals isn’t a bad thing; in fact, it’s a great thing if done well. However, how we think about and approach our goals matters deeply. As followers of Jesus Christ in a high-achieving culture, we should set goals that honor God and are founded in grace and flexibility, not competition. Let’s take a look at what Scripture says about honoring God in and through our goals, and consider some specific ways we can approach and achieve our goals in the coming year.
What Does Scripture Say About Honoring God in Our Goals?
Throughout Scripture, God provides us a helpful framework that we can employ to think about and set goals that honor him. First and foremost, God instructs us to do all things for his glory. Colossians 3:17 says, “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” As you think about your goals for the coming year, ask yourself: Is the goal I’m setting about my glory and recognition, or about God’s? Will my pursuit of this goal help me honor and glorify God better?
Second, God instructs us to demonstrate our love for him in our actions and internal life. In Matthew 22:37, Jesus instructs, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” The goals we set should equip us to love God in our heart, soul, and mind—our thoughts, attitudes, and more—as much as we do in our actions. The Christlikeness of our mind and soul matters as much to God as our external, visible actions.
Additionally, God commands us to honor him in our bodies. In 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, the apostle Paul instructs, “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” While this command is given in the context of a discussion about sexual immorality, it yet applies to the goals we set for our bodies and physical health. Our bodies are to be treated well and used for God-honoring purposes, as they have been bought by Jesus at a high cost: his very own life.
Finally, God instructs us to honor him in our conduct. In 2 Timothy 2:22-25, Paul instructs Timothy,
“So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness.”
As followers of Jesus Christ, the goals we create should be used to set ourselves apart from the world. We should not engage in “youthful passions,” but instead should conduct ourselves in righteousness, faith, love, peace, kindness, and patience, teaching and correcting opponents with gentleness. What good are our goals if they are not driving us to further Christlikeness, holiness, and a better witness of the gospel to a watching world?
As you reflect on these texts and the ways they help us understand how to honor God, I encourage you to remember that God never tells us how many goals we should set. Rather, God desires that our goals bring glory to him in our heart, soul, mind, bodies, and conduct. To God, the quality and outcome of our goals is far more important than the quantity. As you consider your goals for this coming month or year, ask yourself: Will this goal bring God glory? Will this goal help me love God in my heart, soul and mind? Will this goal help me honor God in my body and conduct?
How Do I Approach and Achieve My Goals in a Healthy Way?
Now that we’ve considered some biblical guidelines for our goals, let’s take a look at some specific methods of approaching and achieving goals in the coming year.
First, it’s important to acknowledge your limits. You’re a finite human with limited time, energy, and resources. As much as you’d like to, you can’t do it all! Choose one to three goals to focus on, and trust that God will give you the grace and strength to do them well. You’ll likely have better results when you focus on a few specific goals, rather than attempting to do everything, which often leads to a small amount of progress due to lack of focus and concentration. It’s far better to do a few things well than many things poorly!
Second, use your goals as opportunities to build a good routine and adhere to it. If you’re planning on joining a gym or pursuing therapy, add those appointments or time blocks into your calendar and stick to them the best you can. If your goal is to cultivate a better devotional time, commit to a particular time of day and amount of time that you’d like to spend, and do your best to not schedule over that time in Scripture. When you slip out of your routine, restart! The worst thing isn’t having to restart many times—it’s stopping and never restarting at all.
Third, take advantage of the accountability and encouragement in your life. Whether it’s a spouse, sibling, parent, friend, mentor, or someone else, choose one or two people that you can share your goals with and ask them to check in regularly for an update on your progress. If you’re falling behind or slacking off, ask them to give you the tough love and encouragement you need to start again. Goals are difficult to achieve without the loving accountability and encouragement of others.
Another way to make your goals achievable and sustainable is to set micro goals, which are small goals to achieve in the process of reaching the end goal. For example, if your goal is to run a half marathon, each step in your training plan is a micro goal that’s leading up to the actual goal. Setting micro goals and tracking your progress with them regularly is very motivating, as you can look back on your progress and be excited at how far you’ve come!
Finally, make these goals fun for yourself by tailoring your experience. Far too often, we imagine that the way we achieve our goals has to look exactly like how everyone else achieves theirs. In most cases, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to achieving goals, although there may be some overlapping similarities. Embrace setting goals as an opportunity to be creative by adapting them to how you best learn and grow. For example, if your goal is to exercise more often but you hate running, try lifting weights instead! Or if your goal is to spend more time in God’s Word on a daily basis but you find yourself getting distracted while reading it, consider listening to it through an audio Bible app or picking up a study book that can guide your reading. Your pursuit of your goals doesn’t need to look like everyone else’s! Use these goals as an opportunity to be creative and have fun—you’ll be so much more motivated to pursue progress when you’ve made it enjoyable, too.
In an achievement-focused culture, it’s tempting to become discouraged and overwhelmed when we think about the goals we’ve failed to achieve or when we compare ourselves to others. As you consider your goals for the coming year, pursue God’s honor instead of alignment with culture. Scripture instructs us how to honor God with our goals as we seek to achieve them in a healthy way. God doesn’t require a certain quantity of achieved goals, but instead asks that, no matter what we do, we honor him in all we do (Colossians 3:17).
Application Questions
- In the past, how have I succumbed to the world’s achievement-focused mentality? What was the result?
- What goals am I seeking to accomplish this year?
- Are these goals about my glory or God’s glory?
- How are these goals equipping me to honor God in my heart, soul, mind or body?
- Will these goals contribute to healthy routines and habits in my life?
- What accountability and encouragement can I source from my community?
- What micro goals do I need to set in order to accomplish my overall goal?
- How will I make this process enjoyable for myself?
Photo Credit: Emilee Carpenter
Leah Jolly is a graduate of Wheaton College where she studied international relations and Spanish. She lives in the Grand Rapids area with her husband, Logan, and is pursuing her MDiv at Calvin Theological Seminary. She attends Harvest OPC in Wyoming, Michigan. You can connect with Leah on Instagram and Substack.
