The NIV 365 Day Devotional

Goal Setting: Plotting a Course

11 The Lord will guide you always;
  he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
  and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
  like a spring whose waters never fail.
12 Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
  and will raise up the age-old foundations;
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
  Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

13 “If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath
  and from doing as you please on my holy day,
if you call the Sabbath a delight
  and the Lord’s holy day honorable,
and if you honor it by not going your own way
  and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,
14 then you will find your joy in the Lord,
  and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights of the land
  and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.”
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

Isaiah 58:11-14

Goals are dreams with a deadline. In life’s pursuits, you either move ahead or find yourself falling back; there is no middle ground! Some goals express good desires but cannot be measured and have no deadlines and thus are not achievable.

Meaningful vision and realistic goals must include an explanation of the goal (what will it take to reach the goal?), and a date for completion (what is the deadline?).

The ardent and relentless pursuit of a goal was important to Paul! He spoke of pressing “toward the goal to win the prize” (Php 3:14) and of running toward a prize and disciplining himself to “get” that prize (1Co 9:24-25). In both cases, however, Paul was speaking of achieving that which is imperishable: the crown that belongs to those who answer the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. The Lord is not at all opposed to your achievement—he simply calls upon you to direct your achievement toward right and eternal things!

Biblical guidelines determine goals (1Co 10:31). All goals must be consistent with the written Word of God (2Ti 3:14-17) and likeminded with Jesus Christ (Php 2:5). Goal setting is appropriate for any age from youth through adulthood (1Ti 4:12– 16), for all God- ordained relationships and in all areas of life. Certain commitments are involved in setting goals: Priorities must be specific or measurable (Heb 6:10); goals should be realistic (Php 3:13-14); a plan must be developed to get the work done (1Co 9:24-27); time must be set aside to complete the task (Ac 20:24); and evaluation of the goal reached ought to be included (2Ti 4:7).

To accomplish an ultimate purpose or goal, steps are important. You first ask for direction from God (Pr 3:5-6). This establishes objectives for what is to be done (Ps 37:23-24) and determines a program for how you are going to accomplish your goal (Pr 16:9). You must schedule when you are going to do what God has put in your heart to do (see 1Ch 12:32) and budget how much time and money is required.

A Christian’s ultimate goal is always to please God. Discover his priorities (Mt 22:36-40); study his principles (Ps 119:105); determine his plans (Ps 16:7-11); note his way of evaluating progress (Gal 6:3-4); remember his promise for help (Php 1:6); commit to his way of problem-solving (Ps 37:4-9).

Taken from The NIV Woman’s Study Bible.