What do you do when you want to enhance your relationship with God? Have you thought about setting some spiritual goals? At the beginning of every new year, people make countless lists of resolutions and goals they want to accomplish in the next 365 days.
Many times these goals never make it to the end of the first quarter and only rarely are they accomplished within the calendar year. And so we give up and decide not to set any goals at all. But maybe the key to accomplishing our goals is to set godly goals. As we strive to achieve our spiritual goals, we should invite God to be a part of our process. After all, He’s the one we want to get closer to, right?
What are Spiritual Goals?
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Spiritual goals draw us closer to God. They are objectives we set to improve our relationship with Him. If you’ve spent any time on this blog you know I believe in a three-step approach to this objective:
- Know God
- Know yourself
- Run your race
Spiritual goals teach us more about the God we serve and who we are in relation to Him. They give us the tools—and the strength—we need to accomplish the unique tasks God assigns to us.
We’re good at setting goals but we tend to focus on ourselves.
- What do I want to learn…
- What can I do to improve my life …
- What do I want to accomplish?
Only rarely do we think about our goals in terms of the greater picture: our eternal salvation and the Great Commission. Spiritual goals look external, as well as, internal. Godly goals look at the person God created us to be and the goals that can get us to be the best version of ourselves in relation to the work we have to do before Jesus returns. Godly goals look to God and ask Him to guide our path.
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Why is Spiritual Goal Setting So Important?
Because of sin, human beings are naturally selfish. We think easily about our desires, our wants, our needs, our goals. We don’t like to think about what other people want or need because it takes the focus off ourselves.
But when we choose to set godly goals, we think about Christ and what He wants us to do. We think about our goals in relation to fulfilling our purpose and using our gifts to help others.
Christianity is about service. It’s about witnessing to others about the awesome God we serve. It’s about worship and drawing other people out of the darkness and into God’s marvelous light.
Does God want us to set goals?
Now you may wonder if God wants you to set goals. Allow me to rephrase: does God want you to be successful in the things you strive to accomplish? Does He want you to have a more intimate relationship with Him? Does God want you to be your best self?
The answer to all of those questions is yes. God wants the best for you. He wants you to be a light shining in this dark world so you can point others to Him. No one wants to know the secret behind someone who’s not doing well.
A word of warning though, God does not define success the way the world does. He does not have the same expectations of us and, in fact, holds us to a higher standard.
What Should My Spiritual Goals Be?
So, maybe you’re wondering what kind of spiritual goals you should have. Are there goals every Christian should try to meet? The best person to answer that question is you through the leading of the Holy Spirit. There are, however, some spiritual goals you could strive to accomplish.
Examples of spiritual goals
There are a lot of things you can do to improve your spiritual health, but if you’re stumped for ideas, here are some spiritual goals you could set:
Do one Bible word study every month–Choose one word from your daily reading and do some research on the original language. Look at how it is used in the Bible. This will greatly enhance your understanding of the Word.
Read one book of the Bible each month—Choose a book of the Bible and make a plan to read the entire book in a month.
Study one book of the Bible each quarter—Do an in-depth study of a book of the Bible. Break out your concordance and commentaries and get deep in the Word of God.
Volunteer in a department at your church one week each month—Spend some time exploring the various ministries in your church. This is also a great way to discover your spiritual gifts.
Mentor one person—Choose someone who is younger than you either in age on in faith and encourage them as they strive to walk with God.
Seek a mentor—As you seek to strengthen others, seek out someone who can encourage you in your faith.
Listen to an audio Bible daily—I recommend listening to a dramatized Bible as a way to increase your faith. You’d be surprised at the depth of meaning that can be gleaned when the Bible is acted (or read) aloud.
Open your home and practice hospitality—Many times we don’t open our homes to others because we fear being judged for our space. But this is a great way to grow spiritually. Start with inviting one person to your home as you share what you have been blessed with.
Practice Sabbath rest—As Jesus told the Jews, the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath. Choose to practice Sabbath rest.
Go on a prayer walk once per week—Spending time in nature is a great way to appreciate what God has done.
Seek to disciple one person—A great spiritual goal for every Christian is to follow in Jesus’ footsteps. One of the best ways to do that is to disciple another person. Doing this fulfills the Great Commission of Matthew 28:16-20. Discipleship could be as simple as displaying Christ-like behavior to those in your household or the people you work with.
Keep a gratitude journal for 30 days—You’d be surprised at how much you have to be grateful for and how gratitude increases your faith. Make thankfulness a daily habit for 30 days.
Meditate on and memorize one Bible verse per month—The psalmist David said he hid God’s Word in his heart so that he would not sin against Him (Psalm 119:11). You can do the same thing. Set a spiritual goal to meditate on and memorize at least one verse per month.
Join a Bible study–Studying the Bible is one of the best ways to know more about the character of God and is one spiritual goal every Christian should have on their to-do list. Study with like-minded believers and sharpen each other (Proverbs 27:17).
Host a Bible study–If you’ve attended a number of Bible studies and feel up to the challenge, host a Bible study. This can be done in person or online. You can choose to use an existing Bible study book or guide or create your own.
Read a book on a spiritual topic–One way to improve our abilities in a given area is to learn more about the topic. Read books about spiritual disciplines or areas you would like to improve in. Some topics you may want to explore are Christian marriage, fasting, or how to study the Bible.
Write a statement of your beliefs–What do you believe? You may be surprised to realize that you aren’t as clear on all the aspects of your faith as you ought to be. Spend some time thinking about what you believe about God and why. Search the Bible for Scriptures and write a statement of faith. This will give you a reference point for what you believe (1 Peter 3:15 CEV).
Strive to overcome one vice–We all have things we struggle with. Prayerfully ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any area in your life in which you need to improve then set a spiritual goal to work on it.
Share your faith with one person this week–I get it, sharing your faith can be hard. But after working on your statement of belief, tell one person why you believe what you do. This could be as simple as sharing the story of how you came to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. Or, it could be
Reflect on your actions–Do you represent Christ? We sometimes forget that our actions reflect the God we serve. Think back on your actions of the past week, were you a good witness of who God is or what He has done for you? Would someone want to know more about God because of your actions?
Start a prayer journal–Use a journal to record your prayers and the answers you receive. This prayer journal will later serve as a testimony of your faith and will encourage you when you begin to doubt what God has done for you.
Keep a journal of what God has done for you and others–God is always working. Keep a record of what He is doing in your life and others. Like a prayer journal, this will serve as a testament to others and will serve to encourage your faith.
Take part in the church–This seems like a simple thing, doesn’t it? But many times we go to church expecting a blessing instead of seeking to bless others. Use your gifts to serve God and other members of your congregation.
Visit someone–Spend some time visiting with someone (sick, lonely, elderly).
Call someone to encourage and pray for them–Reach out to someone. You may be surprised at how this encourages your faith as well as theirs.
Support a charity or the welfare department of your church–Share some of what God has given you with others. If you are unable to spare the funds, donate your time or items your family no longer needs that are in good condition.
Pray daily–spend some time in prayer. This is your time to express yourself to God and allow Him to express Himself to you.
Read the Bible daily–We need to spend time in the Word every day. Make it a priority.
Follow a Bible reading plan–While reading the Bible daily is a key spiritual discipline, following a Bible reading plan allows us to be more consistent. Use a Bible app, download a free reading plan, or sign up for my mailing list to have a new plan mailed to you each month.
Watch Bible-based content–There is a lot of good, Bible-based content on the internet. Instead of watching cat videos on YouTube, tune in to a Bible study, spiritual songs, or listen to a Christian YouTuber.
Unfollow social media pages and influencers who promote the wrong message–If your feed doesn’t represent Christ, you may need to change the content that shows up in your feed.
Follow social media pages and influencers who promote the right message–Follow pages and persons who share encouragement and Christian content.
Make an effort not to check social media before you have a devotional time–Reserve the first few minutes of your day for your time with God. Do not check your phone until you have spent some time in prayer and worship.
Adjust your hobbies to reflect your new lifestyle–It may be time to change or update the way you spend your free time. If your hobbies do not reflect your faith in God, it may be time for a change (change the games, books, movies, music you consume).
Watch sermons–Find pastors that teach or preach Bible-based messages and learn from them.
Practice forgiveness–Make a decision to forgive those you believe have trespassed against you (this applies even if they did not acknowledge that they had wronged you or asked for forgiveness).
Practice love–Jesus told His disciples that the world will know His disciples by the way they love each other. Show the love of Christ to someone today.
Practice grace–Grace may be defined as undeserved kindness, practice grace today.
Be intentional in your relationships–Be purposeful today with the people God has put in your life. Put away your devices and make a conscious effort to be present in your interactions.
Fast once per month–Choose one day per month to deprive yourself of something for the express purpose of spending time with God.
Do a topical study once per quarter–Do a deeper study on one topic each quarter.
Explore a new Bible study method–Try a new method of studying the Bible. Study a character, dig deeper into a verse, or do a chapter by chapter study…you may be surprised at what you learn.
Read the Bible in a different translation–Shake up your Bible study time with a new translation. The experience of a different translation may give you a new understanding of the Bible.
Use a study Bible–The notes in a study Bible may shed some new light on familiar passages.
Try Scripture writing–The process of writing a passage of Scripture forces you to slow down and meditate on the Word.
Do an online Bible study–Find a community online and complete a Bible study.
Bible journal–This is a way to get creative in your time with God and also allows you to meditate on God’s Word.
Journal during your Bible study or devotional time–as you spend time reading and studying your Bible, write down what the Holy Spirit reveals to you.
Spend time in worship–We were created for worship so spend some time expressing your adoration and reverence for God.
Sit still before God–Sit still and allow God to speak to your heart.
How to Set Godly Goals
As you begin the process of setting godly goals for the new year, here are five steps to follow:
1. Pray. As in all things, when you’re setting your goals, start with prayer. Ask the Lord to reveal where you need to grow in the coming year. Ask Him to show you where you are weak and could use a little help.
2. Give yourself time. Goal setting takes time. Allow yourself ample time to think about what you want to accomplish. You’ll also need time to allow God to impress you with the goals He has for you.
3. Write them down. Writing is an aid to memory so write your goals down–preferably somewhere that you will see them often so you don’t forget them.
4. Make a plan. I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, “A goal without a plan is just a wish.” After you have selected your goals, what are the steps that you need to take? Make them S.M.A.R.T.
Specific. Measurable. Attainable. Realistic. Timebound.
5. Get an accountability partner. One of the best things we can do for our goals is to hold ourselves accountable, but that’s so hard to do. That’s where our community becomes important. Find a few other persons to come alongside you to help you accomplish your goals.
Maybe they will have different goals, but as you cheer each other on, you’ll be encouraged and strive to accomplish the goals you’ve set for the year.
SMART Spiritual Goals
Accomplishing your goals can be hard, especially when it seems as though it’s not going to work out exactly as you had imagined it. But we have to set SMART godly goals as we work on living up to our identity in Christ.
I would like to walk through an example of a SMART godly goal. Let’s say you decide you want to read the Bible cover to cover. Your SMART goal would look something like this:
- Specific–I want to read all 66 books of the Bible.
- Measurable–I will read one chapter every day.
- Attainable–I will follow a Bible reading plan by setting aside 30 minutes each day to read.
- Realistic–I won’t try to read the entire Bible in one year because I’m not able to commit more than 30 minutes each day at this time.
- Timebound–At the end of 3 1/2 years, I will have read the entire Bible from Genesis to Revelation.
As you saw in the example above, the goal met all the SMART criteria. Your goals should meet each criterion as well, otherwise, you won’t be able to keep track of them or know when they are met. Make sure that you check on the status of your spiritual goals often and make adjustments where necessary.
Here are a few more posts on godly goalsetting:
How Can God Help You Achieve Your Spiritual Goals?
What Does the Bible Say About Setting Goals?
After you’ve set your godly goals, you may find yourself becoming discouraged. But take heart, God is with you. These Bible verses will help you to keep going when you’d rather give up.
I can do all things through him who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13 ESV).
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths (Proverbs 3:5-6 ESV).
But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26 ESV).
For a dream comes with much business, and a fool’s voice with many words (Ecclesiastes 5:3 ESV).
Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established (Proverbs 16:3 ESV).
Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised (Hebrews 10:35-36 ESV).
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord” (Jeremiah 17:7 ESV).
Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ (Colossians 3:23-24 ESV).
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