G is for Goal-Philippians 3:14

“I press on toward the goal…” (Phil 3:14). “I press on to reach the end of the race” (Phil 3:14, NLT). “However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace” (Ac 20:24).

Theme: Should you have a life goal? Would it make any difference whether or not you have one? Do you have a master passion, an ambition, that inspires and motivates you with enthusiasm and excitement?

Quotes:

• “You are never too old to set a new goal or to dream a new dream.” C.S. Lewis.
• “Man is a goal seeking animal. His life only has meaning if he is reaching out and striving for his goals.” Aristotle.
• “What keeps me going is goals.” Muhammad Ali.
• “If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things.” Albert Einstein.
• “The mystery of human existence lies not in just staying alive, but in finding something to live for.” Fyodor Dostoyevsky.
• “A life is either all spiritual or not spiritual at all. No man can serve two masters. Your life is shaped by the end (goal) you live for.” Thomas Merton.
• “Accepting oneself does not preclude an attempt to become better.” Flannery O’Connor.
• “A goal is not always meant to be reached, it often serves simply as something to aim at.” Bruce Lee.
• “To the person who does not know where he wants to go there is no favorable wind.” Seneca (Roman philosopher).
• “Be practical as well as generous in your ideals. Keep your eyes on the stars, but remember to keep your feet on the ground.” Theodore Roosevelt.
• “Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me. Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful, that’s what matters to me.” Steve Jobs.
• “I do know that when I am 60, I should be attempting to achieve different personal goals than those which had priority at age 20.” Warren Buffet.

This theme of having a goal and a single master passion is considered in three parts:

1. My goals.
2. Paul’s goal.
3. Your goals.

Remember the gospel of God’s grace when considering our personal and collective goals. Jesus’ singular goal was to fulfill his father’s will for world salvation, which would cost him his very life (Heb 10:9-13). Because Jesus’ goal was to die and be cursed on our behalf (Gal 3:13), our goals may lead to life and blessing.

I. My Goals

My first goal at age 16 was probably the first time I felt I had a goal. I never thought of becoming a medical doctor because I knew that my grades were not good enough to enter medical school in Malaysia. I thought I might conceivably be an engineer, since in those days those who can’t make it to medical school “settled” for Engineering. (Sorry, engineers!) But when anyone heard what my grades were, they said, “You can enter medical school.” It was the first time I ever thought of becoming a doctor. So I applied and was selected as the second to last student in 1973.

My second goal at age 18 was to study hard to graduate and become a medical doctor. When I entered medical school I thought I was a genius and did not have to study much. So I didn’t study for the first half of the year and failed two of three subjects in the finals. I passed Anatomy but failed Physiology and Biochemistry. As a result I had to study for three months and take a remedial exam while most of my classmates who passed had a well deserved vacation.

My third goal at age 24 was to come to the U.S. though it was quite impossible. When I was doing my internship in Singapore in 1978 I was showering next to a fellow intern in an adjacent stall. He mentioned in idle conversation that he was going to the U.S. counselate to pick up forms to apply to take a medical exam, called the Visa Qualifying Exam. This would allow him to apply for medical residencies in the U.S. So I asked him to pick up a form for me as well. We both applied and took this exam in Manila, which was the closest location to Singapore to take the exam. It required a tremendous amount of studying, reviewing and memorizing basic medical sciences. But while working full time as a busy intern, sometimes working up to 80 hours a week, I studied hard for 6 months and passed, while my friend failed probably because he did not study for it. I was quite motivated to study hard because I desperately wanted to come to the U.S. I wanted to be an American medical doctor and not just a local Malaysian or Singapore doctor. I wanted to see if American women were as beautiful as they looked on TV and movies.

My fourth goal at age 27 was to seek God’s kingdom first and raise disciples of Christ. In 1980, God transformed my heart to know his love, mercy and grace upon my life when I became a Christian in Chicago. Based on Mt 6:33 and Mt 28:19, I wanted to live for the priority of the kingdom of God by making disciples in Chicago where I live, and anywhere else where God provides me the opportunity. Expanding God’s kingdom and making disciples, even if I do so poorly, has been the major driving force in my life since the early 1980s.

My fifth goal at age 53 was to plant a church in 2008, which is West Loop. After being in the Chicago UBF headquarters for 27 years, where I was an elder and a fellowship leader for over two decades, I felt compelled to plant a church next to UIC (University of Illinois, Chicago). Only by God’s grace we did so on Jan 4, 2008. This goal of planting a church in my fifth decade of life, though challenging, has sparked new life and brought forth much unexpected joy in the Spirit among us. It is like being born again…again.

My present goal is to live the rest of my life (as long as God gives me life) by testifying to the gospel of God’s grace and by declaring the whole counsel of God (Ac 20:24, 27 is what Paul shared in his farewell speech to the Ephesian elders). Practically, this involves the following:

1. Reflect, remember, renew and rejoice in the grace of Jesus daily (1 Cor 15:10; 2 Tim 2:1).
2. Read and study much to be new and flexible, and not be a stubborn rigid old wineskin as I get old.
3. Mentor and disciple the next generation by focusing on the gospel.
4. Work toward unity and reconciliation wherever there is discord, distrust and division.
5. Expand God’s kingdom by living out the gospel in life and community, and by planting new churches and communities.

II. Paul’s Goal

The apostle Paul is a man of one goal, one aim, one destination, one direction, one purpose, one heart, one mind. In the following verses, he states and declares what the primary motivation for his life is in various different expressions:

1. Single purpose of life: Tell others the gospel of the grace of God (Ac 20:24; 2 Tim 2:1).
2. Single goal of life: To know Christ (Phil 3:10) and him crucified (1 Cor 2:2), to take hold of Christ (Phil 3:12), to live for Christ (Gal 2:20).
3. Single motivation for his life: To win the prize (1 Cor 9:24-27).
4. First importance to pass on to others: The gospel (1 Cor 15:3-4).
5. One thing to never be ashamed of: The gospel (Rom 1:16).
6. To know himself progressively more and more (1 Cor 15:9; Eph 3:8; 1 Tim 1:15).

III. Your Goals

What might your goals be? How might you come to know what they are? Is this important?

Luke 2:52, NASB says, “And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” This suggests that Jesus grew (Lk 2:52, NIV) or increased (Lk 2:52, ESV) or kept increasing in four ways:

1. Intellectually (wisdom).
2. Physically (stature).
3. Socially (in favor with men).
4. Spiritually (in favor with God).

How might you set goals to grow in these four ways?

Practical Application (Prayerfully and humbly do the following):

1. Seek to discern and choose the will of God (Rom 12:2; Jn 7:17).
2. Trust God (Prov 3:5-6), rather than yourself.
3. Commit your life to God (Prov 16:3).
4. Allow God to direct your steps (Prov 16:9).
5. Seek many counselors and advisors (Prov 15:22).
6. Set goals to grow in four ways (Lk 2:52): See above.
7. Set SMART goals: Specific, Measurable, Action, Realistic, Timeline.
8. Adjust, modify, be flexible with or even change your goals according to how you perceive God’s leading upon your life. See #2.