Chasing goals the Jesus- way
It is very important to set goals; goals with their action plans are the step-by-step ladder to achieving most of the things we dream of or are called to do or be.
So I started setting my goals, from the big to the small, the weekly ones and then the daily ones.
Oh, the great feeling of accomplishment at the end of a day that I had ticked everything off my to-do list. I mean I was good at this: set a goal and hit it! I would not achieve all the daily goals every other time, of course, but generally I was doing well.
Did Jesus set goals?
As I set the next day's to-do list, I wondered if the most perfect example for Christian living: Jesus Christ, ever set goals. "Did he set a goal, for example of how many towns to preach to by the end of the day, or how many people to deliver from bondage each week?" I thought to myself.
I don't specifically remember anywhere in the Bible where Jesus is planning or laying out before the disciples what the next day's agenda would be like, neither do I find Him anywhere wondering what he ought to do.
I believe the Master knew what he had to do each day and he went ahead to do it. So I'm convinced that it's safe to say that Jesus did set goals and always set out to achieve them. However, how he achieved those goals is what makes the difference.
How Christ achieved His goals.
Mark 6: 36- 44 gives us an interesting way Christ achieved his goals.
He sends out the disciples to preach and deliver people, after which they came back with amazing feedback. So many people's lives were changed that the disciples hadn't gotten time to eat.
Jesus then asks his disciples to go with him to a quiet place and have some rest. But on reaching the would-be quiet place, a lot of people had already gathered there waiting on Jesus to appear. So when he got there, He had compassion on them and decided to teach them.
The goal of the day might rather have been: send out the disciples in pairs, let them learn to preach the word and experience the power by themselves in the name of Jesus, go away to a nice place at the end of the day, have fancy tasty meal, and take a well-deserved rest.
Instead, even though his disciples were very tired and hungry, Jesus chose to teach the people, which meant more work for the disciples, staying with the people and helping Jesus as he taught, not forgetting that they had to go ahead and distribute fish and bread which had been multiplied, and then collect up the left-overs after everybody else had eaten to their full.
From this story in regard to plans and goals, I learn to be:
Open-minded as I pursue my goals.
Jesus was not too consumed by what he had planned to do; as he was able to recognize, pay attention and effectively teach the people.
Even though He had something on schedule, he did not teach in a hurry or send off the crowd so he could get to the next item on schedule, he fully gave them his time and heart as though they'd already been on schedule.
Even though He had something on schedule, he did not teach in a hurry or send off the crowd so he could get to the next item on schedule, he fully gave them his time and heart as though they'd already been on schedule.
To push myself beyond my target and still above.
In verse 30 of Mark chapter 6, the Apostles were excited about the remarkable results they had. They had hit their target and beyond. They hadn't expected to have so many people to preach to, that they would not even have any time to eat.
At some point you might also feel the urge to relax and give yourself a pat on the back after achieving beyond your pre-set target, but here we see Jesus pushing the disciples way above their target (even there was still more work to do after serving the fish and bread!).
So, there's nothing wrong with hitting your target and even go beyond.
So, there's nothing wrong with hitting your target and even go beyond.
To push myself beyond my usual physical ability.
Christ in his "Godness" knew how sincerely tired the disciples were, and also that the quiet place He was intending to take them to, wouldn't actually be that quiet.
But He also knew that the best kind of rest they needed would be found in serving 5000 men with five loaves and two fish.
After this miracle, I don't read about the disciples asking Jesus for more rest, actually this is where they get into a boat, sail off ahead of him and later on He comes towards them walking on the water.
Therefore we ought to remember that the rest we actually need sometimes might only be found in taking on some extra unplanned work!
That values should out-way goals.
Sometimes we get so lost in trying to hit our deadline that we totally forget about our values. You might find yourself pushing someone out of the way because you are in a hurry, or being so rude to someone because they are being slow while you have a target to hit.
These may not be sins per say, but we just tend to lose sight of our values in moments when we really need to beat the clock.
Jesus still honored his values of compassion, service and love.
To allow God interrupt my plans.
I was good at achieving my goals because once I had set them, I wouldn't let anything else interrupt me until I'd gotten done with everything on my day's to-do list. That's when I would then declare, "Free time!"
I used to miss out on the hugs from the person who gives the sweetest hugs in my world (my 1.7-year old niece) because I was always very busy with work. But with time and a less busy schedule, I've learned to always pause finger-pecking the keyboard to receive that hug while its still young and warm.
I am now very available to be used of God, anytime He wills. I am more aware of the things happening around me that need my skill and/or abilities.
Actually, as Christians we can not afford being too focused on achieving our goals to forget that we ought to be more focused on being led by the Holy Spirit.
What if our goals are not his goals for us? What if he requires us to only go half way our goals, and then hand over the mantle to someone else to carry it forth?
Leading of the Spirit Vs chasing goals
Following the leading of the Holy Spirit might come during the planning phase, the action phase and sometimes the achievement phase.
Well it's less challenging when it comes during or before the planning phase but after the planning and it's the chasing/achieving phase, it may become a little difficult to change our plans to whatever the Holy Spirit is telling us. Sometimes it's totally different from what was planned, sometimes you have already bought all the tools you need, and now you need to break your will in obedience to His (sounds quite unfair, right?).
Most of the great happenings in the Bible happened between the planning and achieving phase and changed our grand fathers' lives for better, starting with:
- Elisha in 1 Kings 19:19-20: where Elijah is choosing Elisha to Succeed him as prophet. Maybe he had planned to be the best farmer that year, going about his work with all energy to achieve his farming goals and ambitions, then comes a well-known prophet of God, telling him (Elisha) to follow him immediately.
- The disciples themselves. Maybe Peter had promised his family that he would come back with money for the rent bill the following morning after a vigorous fishing night; yet Jesus calls Peter to follow him, not giving a strategic plan on how he would cover his needs.
- The wise men in Mathew 2, being the wise men, I doubt they were too idle to find anything more important to do than following around a star. I think they were indeed just wise enough to know that God was interrupting their program, which is how they came to be a part of the greatest story ever told.
- And many innumerable others.
Perhaps, following the leading of the Holy Spirit, or allowing God to interrupt your plans is the difference between the priest in Luke 10:31 (the story of the good Samaritan) and Peter and John in Acts 3:3.
Maybe the Priest in Luke 10:31 was running late, and yet he'd been scheduled to teach at the synagogue that day, so he rushed passed the guy who had been beaten half-dead, while Peter and John in Acts 3:3 were also going to pray at the hour of prayer, following the leading of the Spirit, introduced Jesus to the lame man at the Beautiful gate, who eventually stood up and walked in together with them. Oh, what a great sermon Peter must have delivered to the rest of the people after that!
What I'm trying to say here is that most of the people that are a part of great Bible stories were busy doing something else when the Holy Spirit interrupted them, with no prior information, no preparations on how to leave the work they were doing, they were open to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit.
Therefore we learn to chase goals like Jesus did by;
- Praying before planning (many times even, Jesus went by himself to pray [Mark 6:46])
- Following the leading of the Holy Spirit.
- Not allowing ourselves to be so taken up by our plans and goals.
Therefore chasing goals and achieving them or not may not in itself be the bigger issue, but how you achieve them; with or without the Holy Spirit, with or without peace of mind, with or without integrity, with or without breaking personal values.
Getting the degree is the goal but how you achieved it also matters significantly; did you get into addictions, did you get HIV/AIDS, did you cheat your way through or you did meeting amazing people, represented others spiritually or politically.
Did you enjoy the journey or achieving the degree took away most of your life?
Please comment below with great happenings in the Bible that were totally off-scheduling.
Thank you very much.
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