Print This Article     Email This Article to a Friend       The Neglected Power of Goal Setting   When Lee Iacocca was appointed vice president of Ford Motor Company at the age of thirty-six, it didn't surprise him one bit. Why? Because, as a college student at Lehigh University, he had established it as a goal. At the age of twenty, he had decided to become a Ford vice president by age thirty-five. He only missed his goal by one year. For most of us, we've been hearing all our lives about the importance of setting realistic goals and objectives. It's almost become old hat to talk about the need to write down achievable, measurable goals as a key to accomplishing things. But in spite of that, I never cease to be amazed at how few people actually do it. Goal setting is a powerful tool. Specific, measurable goals give much-needed focus to your energy and passion. You may be surprised to discover that the Bible has quite a bit to say about the need to set goals. Six hundred years before the birth of Christ, the prophet Habakkuk wrote about goal setting. He tells us to "write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it" (Habakkuk 2:2 NKJ). You see, this isn't an idea cooked up by 21st century man. It's a principle written into God's Word thousands of years ago. What he's talking about here is writing down your vision or goals so you'll know the direction in which to run. Thus it was God, not the motivational gurus, who came up with the idea of writing down your goals as a key to success. In fact, God Himself is a "goal setter." All through the Word, we see God laying out a specific plan and then working to bring it to pass. In the account of creation in Genesis, God says, "Let us make man in our image." He established the goal of creating a being that would be crafted into the very likeness of God Himself. Then He set about achieving that goal. It's a pattern we see repeated over and over in the Bible. Once you make a decision to write your vision, make sure you don't neglect the most important facet of your life—the spiritual part of whom you are. It's common to set goals and make fresh commitments about such things as income, promotions, sales quotas, weight loss, and exercise. These things are all valid goals and can have a beneficial impact on your health and well-being, but very few people ever set goals concerning the most important things in life. I never stop marveling at the number of people I come across that give attention to improving every aspect of their physical lives and yet totally neglect the part of them that is spiritual. Your spiritual condition affects every other part of your existence. Set some goals where time with God is concerned. Set some goals regarding time in the Word and sharing your faith with others. As you do, you'll find things going better at work, at home, and in every other area of your life. After all, Jesus said in Matthew 6:33, "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." Be a goal setter and be sure to seek God first in your goal setting.
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