Who Wins?

Is there a struggle within? If you are a Christian, you may have some areas where struggle still take place.When I look back over the years at my efforts at setting goals, I find that I have sometimes decided it’s too much work. Or perhaps I expect that I won’t be able to succeed. Life will come at me and I will have to just muddle through.

As a Christian, I know that it is not God’s plan for me to muddle through. He wants me to accomplish any goal I set that will honor Him. Those can be big goals, God-sized goals. I have usually been a little hesitant to step out and set God-sized goals.

I want to anticipate right now, as I’m thinking about goals for 2013, that the devil will try to keep me from reaching those goals. He will even try to keep me from setting goals by challenging my thinking. We often accept lesser goals because we don’t want to seem like we are not pleased or thankful for what God has given us. Why, if I aim to make more money in 2013, isn’t that ungodly?

From career goals to homemaking and eating right, I will set goals that are beyond my reach on my own. They must challenge me to grow beyond what I think I can accomplish.

If you are attempting to reach particular goals to help you make progress and accomplish more, it is likely that you will be facing a battle with the devil.

Ephesians 6:12
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

What about your goals?
If you find yourself holding back on setting goals, ask yourself what is causing your hesitation?
Is it past failures? Is it a fear that you are showing discontent?
Will accomplishing this goal help you succeed in other areas?
Will accomplishing this goal honor God?
And, what it you do not reach the goal? As you break it down into pieces, can you see that you will be further along to accomplish part of the goal? Do you understand that you are not a failure if you do not do every bit of the goal? Do you see that aiming high and making some progress is better than having no goal at all?

If you aim at nothing, you can reach it easily. I would rather set up the target—the goal—and miss the bullseye than not even know where the target is or what the goal is.

Do you suppose it is God who is suggesting you do not have goals? Does He want you just sit where you are and let life happen to you?