Smart Goals | A Different ApproachSample

Our Patriarchs

I think that we often forget two of the greatest pillars of faith in the Bible. Abraham and Moses. In thinking about our “goals,” let's consider the beginning of Abraham’s call, and the end of Moses’ journey. 

God came to Abraham (at the time Abram) in Genesis 12:1-5, and said “Abram go from your country … to a place I will show you.” God didn’t consider how this call to move would inconvenience Abraham. He didn’t consider Abraham’s plans, securities, comforts, or endowments. He just said “Go!” And what’s ever more amazing, all the Scripture says is “Abram went.” Add to this that Abram was seventy-five at the time and you throw an enormous wrench into the "world-made" idea of “retirement planning.” None of this was part of Abram's goals. Abram merely anchored his hopes to God’s promises—that God would make him a great nation and would bless him—and he went.

Fast forward to what the Scripture says of Moses. If you’ve never read Exodus or Numbers, please do so now if you want to fully appreciate the difficulty of Moses' journey. On a low note, his life was filled with injustice, weeping, constant whining and rebellion from his people, and on a high note, God used him to deliver his people, give them the Law, and to lead them to the brink of the Promised Land. Nevertheless, through all the hills and valleys, Hebrews 11:39-40 tells us that Moses never received the promise, along with many others of great faith. Why?

Hebrews 11:40 gives us the answer. It’s because “God … provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.”

Did you get that? Did you catch God’s motive in planning our past, present, and future? It’s not our portfolio, it’s not about preserving our comfort, growing our wealth, ensuring our kids go to college, or even about our vocation in any sense of the word. God’s plans, promises, purposes, and will are aimed at one central thing in ALL things. Salvation!

God didn’t want Moses, Abraham, or anyone for that matter to anchor their soul to anything less satisfying that his very own glory. To gain anything is a loss compared to knowing Christ, and God knows it. He thwarted Abram’s comforts, and disrupted Moses' plans. He kept Moses from the promise land, and tested Abram’s devotion to his very own son Isaac. In all things, God aims to be our treasure because he wants only the perfect pinnacle for us. That's Himself!

Now, my question for all of us is does all this supremely factor into our goal setting? Do we limit God in our goal setting? Do we miss what God may want to do? Do we miss God’s primary focus and motive in the whole of human history when we put pen to paper, and key to Quickbooks? 

Something to think about!