Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the LORD spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the LORD will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the LORD said. (Joshua 14:12)
“Give me this mountain!” Caleb declared what he believed God had put in his heart to do. Caleb’s goal, “this mountain,” set the course for his life. The great mountain filled with walled cities and giants was now going to be conquered by preparing, strategizing, and developing a plan. “For a dream cometh through the multitude of business…” (Ecc. 5:3) Caleb’s declaration clarified the course of his life.
Setting goals helps clarify and understand our God given purpose and calling. It helps us avoid situational pitfalls. Fixing our eyes on the prized mountain keeps us from being blown off course by every personal whim and the wind of circumstance.
“If You aim at nothing you will hit it every time!”
“If you fail to plan you plan to fail.”
Mankind was created to produce order and outcome. God brought order out of chaos when He created the world, and he created man in His image and likeness. Adam was given a garden and commanded to “till, dress, and keep” his garden. Adam was to bring order out of chaos. (Gen. 1:26,28; 2:15). From Adam to Caleb to us God has given men and women a calling, “a garden,” or “mountain” to tame. Planning and preparation for the future is a part of our design. God loves order and hates confusion, “Let all things be done decently and in order” (I Cor. 14:40). “God is not the author of confusion…” (I Cor. 14:33).
Adam probably planned out his garden when he, “walked with God in the cool of the day.” Caleb believed God wanted him to have his mountain and at the same time he knew that God was not bound by human planning. He said, “if so be the LORD will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the LORD said.” To conquer the mountain or tame the garden, we purposefully plan and also proclaim, “If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that!” (James 4:15)
Identify your Goal
“I want that mountain!” Caleb named his mountain. He identified his goal: “This is my mountain!”
Define your Goal.
Caleb risked everything to obtain his mountain. But every mountain worth conquering comes at high cost. Having a strong walk with God, great loving relationships, good health, and things along this nature do not come for free. They cost you a great deal, but they are worth it! To conquer your mountain, you must not only identify it, but you must also define why it is worth the sacrifice. It is not just knowing what mountain you want, but knowing why you want it. Why is this mountain worth the sacrifice? Caleb knew his big why. I can hear him say, “I am, with the Lord’s help, going to conquer this giant infested mountain. I am going to turn it into a fruitful garden for the glory of God and for my future generations.”
You must answer “the big why.” Why is that education worth it? That job? The great relationship? The good health? Why is this goal valuable to me personally? How does it please God? Why is this important to those I love? How will it affect my relationship with God?
For example, before I received Christ as my Saviour, I floundered without direction in my college education. I was confused about what I should do. However, once I was saved and God gave me a calling, I had new found direction and a clear goal with my education. I understood the “the big why.” Where once I floundered, I now had total clarity. The sacrifice for getting an education was easily made because I knew “the big why.”
When I turned forty, I ran a marathon. Running 26.2 miles is not easy and especially if you are a non-runner like myself. To conquer the arduous training and the big race I would have to know “the big why.” I wrote my “why” in my day planner: “I am running a marathon for my own self-discipline, self-confidence, and to set a precedent for my old age. I am running this for my wife and kids to demonstrate that hard things can be done, and I am also doing this to connect with my sister who is a marathon runner.” So, when the alarm bell rang and it was 4am on a cold rainy day I would head out the door and run the 14 miles or so that was on the training schedule that day. I could do it! The reason? I had “the big why.”
Describe Your Goal.
Your goals should be measurable, specific, and achievable. Here are some examples:
Read the Bible Through In A Year: a 365 day reading program, a specific time to do my reading, and a specific place to read each day.
Write a Book this year: I must write at least 200 words a day which would equal one book in a year. I must attend a writer’s workshop. I must schedule time for research for the book. I must publish the book.
Get in shape: join a gym, schedule five days a week to exercise, register for and run a 5k.
Notice these goals are measurable, specific, and achievable: One time through reading the bible, one book written, and one 5k run.
Develop Habits.
“That Mountain!” was divided up into dates, times, and checklists. “That Mountain” was on the calendar. It was part of Caleb’s daily life. Macro goals (“that mountain”) are broken up into micro goals (fight battle, build houses, plant garden, etc.…).
The micro or daily and weekly goals turn into habits. God made us to be habitual creatures. In the rhythm of daily life you don’t have to put much thought into showering, dressing, brushing your teeth, driving to work, etc. These things are done on auto pilot. Why? Because we are habitual creatures.
Our macro goals are turned into micro goals and are then integrated into our daily life. At first this is hard because the micro goal has not yet become habit, but when it becomes habit, it gets much easier. Goals develop into habits and habits become who you are. Habits are your destiny. Habits are your identity. When I was training for a marathon, I became “a runner.” How? Because most days of the week I ran. My schedule became my habit, and my habit became my identity.
I made a spiritual decision a long time ago to read the Bible daily. This goal was difficult at first, but quickly the scheduled goal became habit. I tell people that, “I do not read the Bible every day because I am spiritual but I read the Bible every day because I am habitual.” So, at one point I made the decision to read the Bible every day and by doing this I became a Bible reader. That which was scheduled became my habit and my habit became my identity “as Bible reader.”
A true crime story illustrated to me the power of habit. My wife and I saw on T.V. a true story about a man who was axed in the head in the middle of the night. In the morning he awoke got up ate breakfast, showered, brushed his teeth, got the morning paper, and fell over dead. The investigators were having a hard time explaining this man’s behaviour. They discovered that the axe had hit the part of the man’s brain that learns new things, but the deep habitual part of his brain was still working. This man was running on autopilot. That is the power of habit! That is how deep the power of habit becomes integrated into our person. Habits are your destiny. Habits are your identity. Your habits also define who you are.
Three areas of your life to consider when setting goals:
SPIRIT: Your relationship with God is your highest priority. Bible reading and prayer minister to our spirit. Spiritual relationships are important as well. This includes our spiritual connections with our church family, family devotional time, and spiritual fellowship with all believers.
SOUL: The soul is considered “the seat of our emotions.” The soul category includes personal intellectual growth and personal relationships with others. In this category we plan our personal intellectual development. We also work on developing our personal relationships with the people in our lives.
BODY: God has given us a brief stewardship of our earthly vessel. In this category we take care of the “temple of God.” Goals set in this category would include diet, exercise, and sleep.
YOU CAN WATCH TO “How To Set New Years Goals” on the “PASTORAL THOUGHTS” PODCAST BY CLICKING HERE