Goal or grow?

Philippians 3:12, 13 (CEV)… “I have not yet reached my goal, and I am not perfect. But Christ has taken hold of me. So I keep on running and struggling to take hold of the prize. My friends, I don’t feel that I have already arrived. But I forget what is behind, and I struggle for what is ahead.”

I saw a guy on TV today, Jay Shetty, who was talking about being successful at keeping new year’s resolutions. He shared that instead of setting goals which tend to be arbitrary and abstract and easily ignored, we should commit to growing in one or two areas of our lives. Learning a new language or staring a new hobby; learn a new skill or take a class in some area we’ve always wanted to study.

His words hit me as I personalized them… setting a goal to grow in a specific area of life will not only change me but make me a better person, and I will learn a new skill.

Laster in the day, I came in contact with the scripture listed above. I felt a whisper from God’s spirit speak… setting goals as a follower of Jesus is not near as important as being willing to “run and struggle” in this life as a representative of Jesus; no compromises, no concessions, no gray areas; only love and a desire to serve others with the love of Jesus.

It becomes a waste of time and energy to look back at where we’ve been or who we once were; the struggle becomes keeping our eyes on what is ahead or what could be ahead of us and focusing on that. Learning to trust God who is always out ahead of us, calling us to come and follow Him in the race.

May you run the race with endurance and courage as you struggle, learn and grow to be a representative of Jesus in every area of your life.

Happy New Year!