This Is HIS Year: A Biblical Guide to Grace and GoalsSample

Setting Biblical Goals
How can we know God’s will for our lives?

For many Christians, God’s will can often feel elusive and mysterious. We want to please God, prayerfully seeking the “right” college to go to or the “right” person to marry. But we feel confused and unsure how to determine God’s will. We may even feel like God is like a magician using sleight of hand to elusively hide His will from us.

Thankfully, God has not left us to figure out life alone. The Lord has not abandoned us to discover what He desires for our lives. He has given us His Spirit to live within us—guiding, convicting, and leading us in godliness. He has also given us His Word, the Bible, to guide and train us in all righteousness. We should remember these truths as we set goals that align with God’s Word.

As today’s verses teach us, all Scripture is God’s Word. It is profitable for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, and it equips us for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16–17). It tells us who we are, reminding us of our old identity before God saved us and affirming our new identity—who God has called us to be by His grace (Titus 3:3–7).

The Bible says that we were once disobedient rebels, living in sin and separated from God. Through Jesus’s perfect life, death, and resurrection, He saves us. He has lavished His love on us, making us righteous and clean. God not only justifies us, but He also makes us heirs of eternal life. In light of this, we are to live lives that honor Him (Titus 3:8).

As we consider making “this year His year,” we must look to God’s Word to discover what He desires and values. God has given us everything we need to know through His Word to grow in Christlikeness. He guides us by the truths within His Word to make wise decisions. And as we read the Bible, we learn to prioritize what God prioritizes and value what God values. We discover how to set goals that align with God’s Word.

The Bible teaches us how to make plans with wisdom, even while trusting in God’s goodness and sovereignty. Let us seek to bring Him glory by growing in love and obedience to His Word.

Reflect and Respond

1. How does God’s Word impact your daily decisions and goals?
2. If a third party were to look at your weekly calendar, what would they say matters most in your life? Do those priorities align with God’s Word?