The Way Forward: A 5-Day Devotional by Phil DooleySample

Day 3: Set internal goals

We hear a lot about the importance of setting goals, but often the emphasis is on external goals, which are all about moving up in life – achieving career success, earning a good income, and so on. Don’t get me wrong; these are important goals to have. We all have a God-given desire to live to our full potential.

Yet, at the same time, it’s wise to know that success has its own traps. An increase in position, wealth, and status can be a big ego boost, but it also means greater temptations to deal with. The blistering truth is that power, prominence, and pride can be like battery acid to the spirit, eroding us on the inside if we ignore the kind of people we’re becoming. So, while it’s good to want to get ahead in life, it’s even more important to ask yourself: who am I becoming in all of this? That’s where internal goals come in. They shape our inner being, which is where we live from.

Imagine if your top goal in life was to live God’s way. The following would be your portion, according to Galatians 5:22–23 (MSG): ‘But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.’

The good news is that fruitfulness is inevitable when you’re deeply rooted in Jesus. Jesus promises in John 15:5 (TPT): ‘I am the sprouting Vine and you’re My branches. As you live in union with Me as your source, fruitfulness will stream from within you’.

Your part is to pay attention to what the Holy Spirit is shaping inside you and to apply it in your daily life. For example, practise patience and kindness consistently, and you will become more patient and kinder over time, in the same way that if you exercise a muscle, it will become stronger.

This way of living is where true freedom lies. Romans 8:6 (MSG) says: ‘Obsession with self in these matters is a dead end; attention to God leads us out into the open, into a spacious, free life.’