Goals!

 

I don’t even know if this one word saying is still a thing. 

Stephanie and I have had the joy and privilege to lead some young people in discipleship training over the past three years. On more than one occasion they had indicated that we are “goals.” I think I said that right. My understanding is that they just want to be like us. It is so humbling to be considered a role model and frankly it is a bit of an overwhelming responsibility. God certainly has blessed us and I think if they would understand what got us to this point in our lives after 46 years of marriage, they might reconsider. LOL!

I was reading one of my favorite passages of scripture this morning in 1 Corinthians:

“Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadow boxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.” (1 Corinthians 9:24-27)

I have trained for marathons. It is not easy. I have helped athletes train for races, it is a grind at times. And yes, life is so similar to training for races. Life can be a grind and when we have goals in front of us, there are many times you wonder if it is all worth it. There are some people that make it seem so effortless. I never want to give the impression that this has been easy. We have not always followed the best training plan. We have often tried to skip to the end or to skip through the hard stuff to get to the rewards. You really can’t do that. 

When we set goals, we need to realize it is not just one giant leap to achieve them. We have a lot of little painful steps to get to where God wants us to be. IF we truly rely upon the Lord to get us to our goals, he will guide our steps. AND sometimes, most of the time, he will take us way beyond our puny little goals to give us even more than we could ever dream or ask for. But, it takes patience, perseverance, and trust that the Lord knows what he is doing. 

Stephanie and I are in a season that is so surprising to us. He has taken our ministry way beyond anything we could ever dream. But, we completely trust in him and know this next season will be another amazing journey. God will get us through all the challenges and the joys that will come ahead. We are looking forward to his wonderful plan unfolding before our eyes!

“Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all the generations forever and ever! Amen!” (Ephesians 3:20-21)