How Can We Achieve Our Goals
1 Corinthians 9:19-27 – 19 For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. 20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. 21 To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. 23 I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings. 24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
You may get a lot of answers when you ask people about their visions or goals. Some may say that they don’t have goals. Others may say that they’ve lost sight of their goals. However, those who have goals will typically be associated with their finances, work, or a comfortable life. These goals include career advancement, financial freedom, vacations, or early retirements to name a few.
What about us?
Even if we have visions and goals, they may not come to fruition. Instead, things that we did not foresee happening, may happen. Pastor Daniel, for example, shared that he did not foresee becoming a pastor. Though things may not happen the way we want, it is okay for our vision and goals to change, adjust, and be redefined to reflect our personal change and growth. The Bible teaches us that without visions and goals, our life would be wasted. Without visions and goals, we will run aimlessly. Our goals do not have to be noble or spiritual, but it is important to encourage us not to waste our life and our limited time.
At the same time, we should reflect on whether the goals of our lives are oriented to the perishable or imperishable. The perishable prizes or goals include all the things
we considered at the beginning: money, cars, career, success, and comfort. However, in the end, a life of comfort filled with perishable things would be a life without meaning. The Bible tells us that instead, we should run to the imperishable prize. To Paul, that meant giving anything and everything to save the lost.
Pastor Daniel asked us during service to identify between two identical looking cups, the cup that is holy. In the end, the cup’s purpose is defined by who is using the cup and for what purpose. For us as Christians, our purpose and life should reflect God and the life that Jesus Christ lived on this Earth. In order to achieve the vision and goal of the Great Commission, the Bible says that we must discipline our body through self-control.
Proverbs 16:32 states that the one who exercises self-control is better than the warrior who can take a city. While society teaches self-love, indulgence, and liberation, the Bible teaches us the opposite. The Bible teaches self-control, that is, to have the freedom to do things, but choosing not to if it is not beneficial to us or God. For Paul, he chose to change himself to save the lost. If we want to achieve the imperishable prize and save the lost, instead of asking others to change, we should ask whether we need to change first.
Reflection:
I can definitely see that my goals have been closely aligned with my career and stability for a long time. Even after I achieved my goal of getting into medical school, I can tell that the goal posts have shifted to doing well and matching into my preferred specialty. Additionally, things that I feel like I put aside to pursue my goals, like relationships, have also been pushed back with the goal posts. However, I do know that my goals, visions, and aspirations on many occasions do not align with the Bible in saving the lost. Often times I serve VIPs and serve in my respective ministries out of obedience and convenience as opposed to with a grateful heart. I think recently as well, my passion even for my long-term goal in my career has not been as passionate and as fiery as it once was. I think the novelty of medicine and the career has started to wane. I really think that the real desire for my goal has always been stability but I’m realizing more and more that career prospects do not necessitate stability in life. I do know that I need to better align my goals with saving the lost and that true stability means being grounded in Christ.
Reflection Questions:
What were your main takeaways from this week’s sermon?
Are your current goals closer to perishable or imperishable goals?
In what ways can we exercise self-control in our lives?
