Lesson 60 Explore 3: Use Spiritual Goals to Glorify Your Creator
“WHEN a man does not know what harbor he is making for, no wind is the right wind.” These words, attributed to a first-century Roman philosopher, point to the truism that for life to have direction, goals are essential.
The Bible provides examples of individuals who were goal oriented. Working some 50 years, Noah “constructed an ark for the saving of his household.” The prophet Moses “looked intently toward the payment of the reward.”
(Hebrews 11.7: By faith Noah, after receiving divine warning of things not yet seen, showed godly fear and constructed an ark for the saving of his household; and through this faith he condemned the world, and he became an heir of the righteousness that results from faith.)
(Hebrews 11.26: because he considered the reproach of the Christ to be riches greater than the treasures of Egypt, for he looked intently toward the payment of the reward.)
Moses’ successor, Joshua, received the God-given objective of conquering the land of Canaan.-
(Deuteronomy 3.21, 22: “At that time I gave this command to Joshua: ‘You have seen with your own eyes what Jehovah your God has done to these two kings. Jehovah will do the same thing to all the kingdoms into which you will cross over. You must not be afraid of them, for Jehovah your God is the one fighting for you.’)
(Deuteronomy 3.28: Commission Joshua and encourage him and strengthen him, because he is the one who will cross over before this people and he is the one who will cause them to inherit the land that you will see.’)
(Joshua 12.7-24: These are the kings of the land whom Joshua and the Israelites defeated on the west side of the Jordan, from Baal-gad in the Valley of Lebanon and as far as Mount Halak, which goes up to Seir, after which Joshua gave their land to the tribes of Israel as a possession by their shares, in the mountainous region, in the Shephelah, in the Arabah, on the slopes, in the wilderness, and in the Negeb—the land of the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites: The king of Jericho, one; the king of Ai, which was beside Bethel, one; the king of Jerusalem, one; the king of Hebron, one; the king of Jarmuth, one; the king of Lachish, one; the king of Eglon, one; the king of Gezer, one; the king of Debir, one; the king of Geder, one; the king of Hormah, one; the king of Arad, one; the king of Libnah, one; the king of Adullam, one; the king of Makkedah, one; the king of Bethel, one; the king of Tappuah, one; the king of Hepher, one; the king of Aphek, one; the king of Lassharon, one; the king of Madon, one; the king of Hazor, one; the king of Shimron-meron, one; the king of Achshaph, one; the king of Taanach, one; the king of Megiddo, one; the king of Kedesh, one; the king of Jokneam in Carmel, one; the king of Dor on the slopes of Dor, one; the king of Goiim in Gilgal, one; the king of Tirzah, one; a total of 31 kings.)
In the first century C.E., the apostle Paul’s spiritual goals were no doubt greatly influenced by Jesus’ words that “this good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth.”
(Matthew 24.14: And this good news of the Kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.)
Spurred on by personal messages and visions from the Lord Jesus, including the assignment to “bear [Jesus’] name to the nations,” Paul became instrumental in establishing a chain of Christian congregations across Asia Minor and on into Europe.-
(Acts 9.15: But the Lord said to him: “Go! because this man is a chosen vessel to me to bear my name to the nations as well as to kings and the sons of Israel.)
(Colossians 1.23: provided, of course, that you continue in the faith, established on the foundation and steadfast, not being shifted away from the hope of that good news that you heard and that was preached in all creation under heaven. Of this good news I, Paul, became a minister.)
Yes, Jehovah’s servants down through the ages have set lofty goals and have met them, to God’s glory. How may we today set spiritual goals? What goals can we strive for, and what practical steps can we take to reach them?
Right Motives Are Essential
Goals may be set in just about any area of life, and this world has its share of goal-oriented people. Theocratic goals, however, are not the same as worldly ambitions. The primary motives behind many goals in the world are an obsessive desire for wealth and an insatiable hunger for position and power. What a mistake it would be to pursue a goal to gain power and prominence! Goals that bring glory to Jehovah God are directly connected with our worship of him and with Kingdom interests.
(Matthew 6.33: “Keep on, then, seeking first the Kingdom and his righteousness, and all these other things will be added to you.)
Such goals stem from love for God and fellowman and have godly devotion as their aim.-
(Matthew 22.37-39: He said to him: “‘You must love Jehovah your God with your whole heart and with your whole soul and with your whole mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. The second, like it, is this: ‘You must love your neighbor as yourself.’)
(1 Timothy 4.7: But reject irreverent false stories, like those told by old women. On the other hand, train yourself with godly devotion as your aim.)
May our motives be pure as we set and pursue spiritual goals, be they for increased service privileges or for making personal spiritual advancement. Yet, even rightly motivated goals are at times not realized. How can we set goals and increase the likelihood of reaching them?
Strong Desire a Must
Consider how Jehovah accomplished his creative purpose involving the earth. With the words “there came to be evening and there came to be morning,” Jehovah marked off the successive periods of creation.
(Genesis 1.5: God called the light Day, but the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, a first day.)
(Genesis 1.8: God called the expanse Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.)
(Genesis 1.13: And there was evening and there was morning, a third day.)
(Genesis 1.19: And there was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.)
(Genesis 1.23: And there was evening and there was morning, a fifth day.)
(Genesis 1.31: After that God saw everything he had made, and look! it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, a sixth day.)
At the beginning of each creative time period, he well knew his goal, or objective, for that day. And God carried out his purpose to create things.
(Revelation 4.11: “You are worthy, Jehovah our God, to receive the glory and the honor and the power, because you created all things, and because of your will they came into existence and were created.”)
“[Jehovah’s] own soul has a desire, and he will do it,” said the patriarch Job.
(Job 23.13: When he is determined, who can resist him? When he wants to do something, he does it.)
How satisfying it must have been for Jehovah to see “everything he had made” and declare it “very good”!-
(Genesis 1.31: After that God saw everything he had made, and look! it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, a sixth day.)
For our goals to become a reality, we too must have a strong desire to achieve them. What will help us develop such an intense desire? Even while the earth was formless and waste, Jehovah could foresee the end result-a beautiful jewel in space, bringing him glory and honor. Similarly, our desire to accomplish what we set out to do can be cultivated by meditating on the results and benefits of achieving the goal. That was the experience of 19-year-old Tony. He never forgot his first impression of a visit to a branch office of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Western Europe. From then on, the question that occupied Tony’s mind was, ‘What would it be like to live and serve in a place like that?’ Tony never stopped thinking about the possibility, and he continued to reach out for it. How happy he was when several years later his application to serve at the branch was approved!
Our association with others who have already reached a certain goal can also create in us a desire to attain it. Jayson, age 30, did not enjoy sharing in the field ministry when he was in his early teens. But after completing his high school education, he eagerly entered pioneer service, thus becoming a full-time Kingdom proclaimer. What helped Jayson cultivate the desire to pioneer? He answers: “Talking to others who have pioneered and working with them in the ministry strongly influenced me.”
Committing Our Goals to Writing Can Help
An abstract idea takes on clarity and form when we choose words to express it. Solomon noted that proper words can be powerful like oxgoads in giving direction in life.
(Ecclesiastes 12.11: The words of the wise are like oxgoads, and their collected sayings are like firmly embedded nails; they have been given from one shepherd.)
When those words are written down, they make a deep impression on the mind and heart. Why else would Jehovah command the kings of Israel to make a personal written copy of the Law?
(Deuteronomy 17.18: When he takes his seat on the throne of his kingdom, he must write for himself in a book a copy of this Law, taken from the one kept by the Levitical priests.)
We may therefore wish to commit our goals and the strategy for reaching them to paper, listing the obstacles we expect along with ways to overcome them. It can also be helpful to identify the subjects we must become knowledgeable in, the skills we need to acquire, and the individuals who can help and support us.
Setting spiritual goals for himself had a stabilizing effect on Geoffrey, a longtime special pioneer in an isolated territory in an Asian country. Tragedy struck when his wife died unexpectedly. Following an adjustment period, Geoffrey decided to immerse himself completely in his pioneer ministry by setting goals. After writing down his plans on paper, he prayerfully set out to start three new Bible studies by the end of the month. Each day, he reviewed his activity, and every ten days, he checked his progress. Did he reach his goal? With a report of four new Bible studies, he joyfully answers yes!
Set Short-Term Goals as Markers
Some goals may initially appear formidable. To Tony, mentioned earlier, serving at a branch office of Jehovah’s Witnesses seemed like a dream. That was so because his life-style had been wayward, and he had not even made a dedication to God. But Tony decided to harmonize his life with Jehovah’s ways and made it his goal to qualify for baptism. After achieving that goal, he reached out for auxiliary pioneering and regular pioneering, marking on his calendar the starting dates. After he had pioneered for some time, service at the branch office did not seem like an unrealistic goal.
We too may do well to break down our long-term goals into a few short-term goals. The intermediate goals can serve as reachable markers along the way to attaining a long-term goal. Regularly measuring our progress with respect to such road markers can help us to keep our mind focused. Repeatedly praying to Jehovah about our plans will also help us stay on course. “Pray incessantly,” exhorted the apostle Paul.-
(1 Thessalonians 5.17: Pray constantly.)
Determination and Persistence Needed
Despite our having well-laid plans and a strong desire to carry them out, some goals remain unattainable. How disappointed the disciple John Mark must have been when the apostle Paul did not want to take him along on Paul’s second missionary journey!
(Acts 15.37-40: Barnabas was determined to take along John, who was called Mark. Paul, however, was not in favor of taking him along with them, seeing that he had departed from them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. At this there was a sharp burst of anger, so that they separated from each other; and Barnabas took Mark along and sailed away to Cyprus. Paul selected Silas and departed after he had been entrusted by the brothers to the undeserved kindness of Jehovah.)
Mark had to learn from this disappointment and adjust his goal for increased service. He evidently did. Later on, Mark was favorably mentioned by Paul and enjoyed close association with the apostle Peter in Babylon.
(2 Timothy 4.11: Only Luke is with me. Bring Mark along with you, for he is helpful to me in the ministry.)
(1 Peter 5.13: She who is in Babylon, a chosen one like you, sends you her greetings, and so does Mark, my son.)
Perhaps his greatest privilege was that of writing an inspired account of Jesus’ life and ministry.
In our pursuit of spiritual goals, we too may experience setbacks. Rather than giving up, we must review, reevaluate, and readjust. When obstacles arise, we need to stretch forward with determination and persistence. “Roll your works upon Jehovah himself and your plans will be firmly established,” wise King Solomon assures us.-
(Proverbs 16.3: Commit to Jehovah whatever you do, And your plans will succeed.)
Yet, at times circumstances make pursuing certain goals unrealistic. For example, poor health or family obligations may place some goals beyond our reach. May we never lose sight of the fact that the ultimate prize is everlasting life-in heaven or in Paradise on earth.
(Luke 23.43: And he said to him: “Truly I tell you today, you will be with me in Paradise.”)
(Philippians 3.13, 14: Brothers, I do not yet consider myself as having taken hold of it; but one thing is certain: Forgetting the things behind and stretching forward to the things ahead, I am pressing on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God by means of Christ Jesus.)
How is this gained? “He that does the will of God remains forever,” wrote the apostle John.
(1 John 2.17: Furthermore, the world is passing away and so is its desire, but the one who does the will of God remains forever.)
While our situation may not allow us to reach a particular goal, we can still “fear the true God and keep his commandments.”
(Ecclesiastes 12.13: The conclusion of the matter, everything having been heard, is: Fear the true God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole obligation of man.)
Spiritual goals help us stay focused on doing the divine will. Let us therefore use them to glorify our Creator.
Spiritual Goals to Consider
○ Reading the Bible daily
○ Reading each issue of The Watchtower and Awake!
○ Improving the quality of our prayers
○ Displaying the fruitage of the spirit
○ Reaching out for increased service
○ Becoming more effective in preaching and teaching
○ Developing such skills as telephone, informal, and business witnessing
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