Goals & Desires
It is God’s will that you should be sanctified.
1 Thessalonians 4:3
According to Jesus, “life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” (Luke 12:15). A foolish man works toward the wrong end. To live a successful and satisfied life, we have to have the right goals. No God-given goals for our lives can be impossible, uncertain or blocked. Even the secular world knows that the authority of leaders is undermined if they issue commands that cannot be obeyed. So, if God wants something done, it can be done! “For nothing will be impossible with God” (Luke 1:37, NASB), and “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13, NKJV). However, “all things” has to be consistent with God’s will.
To understand how we can successfully live the Christian life, we need to make a distinction between godly goals and godly desires. A godly goal is any specific orientation that reflects God’s purpose for our lives and that is not dependent on people or circumstances beyond our right or ability to control. The only person we have the right and the ability to control is ourselves. Nobody and nothing can keep us from being the person God created us to be—and God’s goal is for us to become that person. If we are honest with ourselves, we will look in the mirror and say, “The only person who can keep me from reaching that goal is me!”
A godly desire is any specific result that depends on the cooperation of other people, the success of events or favorable circumstances that we have no right or ability to control. We cannot base our identity, success or sense of worth on our desires, no matter how godly they may be, because we cannot control their fulfillment. God desires that all would repent and live (see Ezekiel 18:32), but not all will. God writes to His children so that they may not sin (see 1 John 2:1), but His sovereignty and His success are not dependent on whether or not we sin.
Suppose a well-meaning pastor has one primary goal, and that is to triple the size of his church and win his community to Christ. Although his desire is a worthy one, every member of the community can block that goal. Relentless in his pursuit, the pastor could start manipulating his people and pressuring them to produce. The pastor’s church will suffer a lot of pain until he realizes that his goal is to become the pastor God created him to be, and that this the best way to reach his community for Christ. If the pastor makes this his primary aim, no one in his congregation can block it. The pastor himself is the only one who can.
There is nothing wrong with having godly desires such as reaching our community for Christ. However, we shouldn’t base our identity and sense of worth on their fulfillment. We should never try to control and manipulate people in order to accomplish our goals. Nor should we get angry, anxious or depressed if our desires are not met—though we may feel disappointed. Life is full of disappointments, but they are likely God’s appointments to greater maturity in Christ. Other people don’t always cooperate and events don’t always go our way, but these realities of life are not keeping us from conforming to the image of God.
a few questions to ponder:
In Philippians 4:13, Paul says that we can do all things through Christ. However, what condition must be placed on “all things”?
What is the difference between a godly goal and a godly desire?
Why can we not base our identity or sense of worth on godly desires? What happens when we try to do so?
How can you be the person God created you to be in your profession or role in life?
For the sake of your own emotional stability, what plans/goals do you have right now that should be re-defined as a desire?
Neil T. Anderson is the founder of Freedom in Christ Ministries. He began the ministry in 1989 and continues to spread the message of freedom to this day.