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Setting—and Reaching—God-Honoring Goals (Part Two)

Building a Better Life

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Life's Healing Choices

In the previous issue of Toolbox, I encouraged you to begin setting clear goals for your ministry. Using the story of Abraham sending his servant to find a wife for Isaac, we looked at five biblical principles for goal setting:

Take an honest inventory of where you are.
Clearly define what you want God to do.
Anchor your goal in God’s promises.
Identify why the goal truly matters.
Carry the goal consistently to God in prayer.

In this article, we’ll return to that same story and look at five additional principles. These practical steps will help you move God-given goals from intention to completion.

6. Identify what’s standing in your way.

At some point, every meaningful goal runs into resistance.

Before you move forward, you need to identify the obstacles honestly. Ask yourself two important questions:

Why haven’t I already achieved this goal?
What barriers are slowing me down?

Those barriers can take many forms—emotional, financial, relational, or even internal. Abraham’s servant certainly faced his share. He traveled to a land he’d never visited, searched for a woman he’d never met, and somehow had to convince her to leave her family and marry a man she’d never seen.

It sounds impossible—and yet God was at work.

If you want to move forward, you must first name what’s holding you back. Ignoring obstacles doesn’t make them disappear. Diagnosing them prepares you for the next step.

7. Put a workable plan on paper.

Once you’ve identified the obstacles, it’s time to design a plan.

Good intentions need structure. Ask yourself:

How do I intend to move forward?
How long will it realistically take?

Abraham’s servant didn’t rely on vague hope. In Genesis 24:10–11, he developed a thoughtful, specific plan. He positioned himself where he was most likely to meet the right person. He set a clear test. He established next steps.

It wasn’t manipulation—it was preparation.

He knew what he would do if the test succeeded. He knew how he would explain his mission. He knew how he would proceed if the door opened. He didn’t leave the details to chance.

If you want to reach your goals, write down a plan and set realistic timelines. Faith doesn’t eliminate planning—it directs it.

8. Allow God to shape you through discipline.

Nothing great is ever accomplished without discipline.

While you’re working on your goals, God is working on you. In fact, God is often more interested in who you’re becoming than in what you’re accomplishing.

During the goal-setting process, God develops discipline in your life. You see this clearly in Abraham’s servant. When he first encountered Rebekah, he didn’t rush the decision. He slowed down. He observed. He waited for confirmation.

Discipline shaped his decisions.

If you want to grow with your goals, you have to allow God to work on your character while you work toward your goal. Goals reveal where we need growth—and God uses the process to mature us.

9. Decide what you’re willing to sacrifice.

Every goal carries a cost.

There are no meaningful goals without sacrifice. Great goals always require a great investment. Many pastors want to accomplish big things for God—as long as it doesn’t inconvenience them.

But progress always requires payment.

Abraham’s servant understood this. Genesis 24:53 describes the gold, silver, and clothing he brought as gifts. He was willing to invest resources to accomplish the mission.

The question for us is simple: Are you willing to pay the price your goal requires?

If you’re not prepared to sacrifice, the goal will remain an idea instead of becoming a reality.

10. Invite others into the process.

You were never meant to reach God’s goals alone.

God works through people, and lasting success is always shared. Ministry is not a one-person effort—it’s a team calling.

Ask yourself:

Who else needs to be involved?
Who can help move this forward?

Abraham’s servant depended on others throughout the process. He treated Rebekah’s family with respect. He cooperated with them rather than forcing the outcome. He understood that accomplishing the goal required trust and partnership.

The same is true for you. If you try to carry every goal alone, you’ll eventually burn out—or stall out.

Life is too important to drift through without direction.

So let me leave you with two questions.

First, have you clearly thought through what you want to do with the rest of your ministry? Get alone with God. Take a Bible. Take a planner. Listen before you decide.

Second, what are you doing right now that’s truly worth it? Are your daily choices moving you closer to the goals God has placed on your heart?

Life is too short—and ministry is too important—not to pursue God’s purposes with clarity, faith, and commitment.

Recent Articles

When Pressure Is High, Let God Speak First

“It was the first year of the reign of Darius the Mede, the son of Ahasuerus, who became king of the Babylonians. During the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, learned from reading the word of the LORD, as revealed to Jeremiah the prophet, that Jerusalem must lie desolate for seventy years.” Daniel 9:1-2 (NLT)Prayer is one of God’s best gifts in a crisis, not because it helps you manage stress, but because it puts you back in front of the only one who can actually carry what’s too heavy for you.Daniel modeled that.When Daniel realized the clock was running out on Israel’s exile, he didn’t just feel hopeful. He also felt the gap: The people weren’t spiritually ready for what God was about to do. That burden drove him to prayer.But notice where Daniel started. He let God speak to him before he spoke to God.Daniel “learned from reading the word of the LORD, as revealed to Jeremiah the prophet” (Daniel 9:2 NLT). Before he prayed, Daniel listened. Scripture steadied him, reminded him what God had already said, and gave him the right frame for what came next.That’s a word pastors need, especially on a Monday.When pressure is high, it’s easy to treat prayer like a quick download: “God, here’s what’s on fire. Please handle it.” But Daniel’s approach is slower and better. God speaks first. God moves first. God leads first. Then we respond.So how do you listen to God when problems and stress seem to be all around?You open the Bible—not to hunt for a verse to share, but to meet with the Lord.Here’s one simple way to do it today:Read a short passage (even a few verses).Sit with it long enough for the noise in your head to settle.Ask, “Lord, what are you saying to me?”Then pray one honest response based on what you just read.Daniel didn’t come to God ready to give a speech. He came ready for a conversation. And he let God set the tone.The more Scripture shapes you, the more your prayers will stop sounding like panic—and start sounding like trust.

The Kind of Leadership That Lasts

You can build a crowd on personality, and you can build momentum on skill. But you can’t build a ministry that lasts on charisma alone.That’s because the foundation of leadership is character, not charisma.Charisma is real. In fact, it’s a gift. Some leaders can walk into a room and settle everybody down. Some can tell a story and you can feel the temperature change.But charisma won’t hold you up when the stress hits—when criticism comes, when you’re tired, and when you’re tempted. In those moments, who you are matters more than what you can do.I’ve watched leaders with real charisma lose their influence because their private life couldn’t support their public life. That’s why charisma can’t be the foundation. If people can’t trust you, they won’t follow you for long.Credibility—the real testA lot of organizations confuse position with leadership. They think a title creates influence. It doesn’t.And the same mistake happens in ministry. A platform can make you visible, but it can’t make you believable. Here’s the difference: Reputation is what people say you are, and character is what you really are.Character is what you are in the dark, when nobody’s looking, when you could cut the corner and no one would ever know.What Scripture says to look for in leadersThe Bible says, “Remember your leaders who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith” (Hebrews 13:7 NIV).Notice what it doesn’t say. It doesn’t say, “Consider their talent.” And it doesn’t say, “Consider their style.”It says, “Consider the outcome of their way of life.” God builds lasting leadership on a life you can trust.That Hebrews passage gives you three simple things to watch for:A message worth rememberingWhen you speak, are you giving people truth they can build on or just something that sounds good in the moment?A lifestyle worth consideringDo the people closest to you see the same person the crowd sees?A faith worth imitatingAre you depending on God, or are you living off adrenaline and ability?When you have those three things—a message worth remembering, a lifestyle worth considering, and a faith worth imitating—that’s character. And character outlasts charisma every time.How leaders are madePastor, don’t ask, “Do people like me?” Ask, “Is my life worth following up close?”That’s not a question meant to shame you. It’s a question to give direction, because you can’t lead people somewhere you refuse to go yourself.If you feel a gap between your public leadership and your private life, don’t panic. Just get honest.Character isn’t built in a weekend. It’s built one decision at a time—when you tell the truth and it costs you, when you do the right thing and nobody sees it, and when you keep your conscience clean before God.That’s where leaders are made. And that’s the real measure of leadership.

Lead with Mercy When People Are Hurting

Jesus’ ministry was all about mercy. He showed mercy everywhere he went.If you want to know what mercy-shaped leadership looks like, watch how Jesus meets people in three moments pastors face all the time: shame, disappointment, and death. Luke 1:78 says, “A new day will dawn on us from above because our God is loving and merciful” (GW). Because Jesus is merciful, you can’t just talk about mercy. Mercy has to shape the way you shepherd.Watch how Jesus treats the ashamed, how he answers disappointment, and how he speaks hope when death is close. Then go do the same in your ministry.1) When people mess up, protect their dignity and refuse to throw stones.In John 8, a woman is dragged into public shame. The religious leaders are not trying to restore her. They are trying to use her to trap Jesus.I love what Jesus does first. He slows the whole moment down, protects her dignity, and refuses to let her become a spectacle.When they keep on questioning him, he straightens up and says to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her” (John 8:7 NIV). One by one, the accusers walk away. After they all are gone, he assures her he doesn’t condemn her and then says, “Go now and leave your life of sin” (John 8:11 NIV).Pastor, that is where mercy begins. Jesus refuses to shame her, but he does call her to change.That is the kind of mercy people trust.It tells the truth without public humiliation.It makes room for repentance.It offers a next step instead of a permanent label.And if you are honest, you need that mercy too. When you have stumbled, overreacted, or said something you wish you could take back, Jesus is not looking for a chance to shame you. He is ready to restore you.Jesus says, “I have come to save the world and not to judge it” (John 12:47 NLT). If you lead like a judge, people will hide. If you lead like a shepherd who has received mercy, people can finally be honest.2) When disappointment settles in, don’t let it harden you.A lot of anger is really disappointment that has been sitting too long. Pastors know that feeling.In John 5, a man has been lying by a pool for 38 years. That is a long time to live with disappointment. So when Jesus asks, “Do you want to get well?” (John 5:6 NIV), the man does not really answer the question. He explains why nothing has changed: Somebody else always gets there first.Let disappointment sit long enough, and blame starts to feel normal. You stop expecting much. The heart gets hard.Jesus does not shame the man for that. He answers him with mercy: “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk” (John 5:8 NIV). Mercy gives him something to do, and the man walks.Pastor, sometimes the impossible is not a dramatic turnaround by Sunday. Sometimes it is the quieter miracle of staying soft when you have been let down, obeying God in the next small step, and refusing to let disappointment train you into cynicism.God’s mercy makes room for hope again.3) When death is close, offer people more than comfort; offer them mercy.Sooner or later, every pastor walks into a room where eternity is no longer theoretical: a hospital room, a graveside, or a conversation where death is suddenly close enough to touch.In Luke 23, two criminals hang beside Jesus. One mocks him. The other admits the truth: “We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong” (Luke 23:41 NIV). Then he says, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom” (Luke 23:42 NIV).And Jesus answers, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43 NIV).That is more than comfort. It is mercy.It reminds you that the people in front of you do not mainly need better religious performance. They need a Savior, and so do you.So, pastor, carry mercy into the rooms waiting for you this week.Carry it into the hard conversation with the person who failed, into the long disappointment that is tempting you toward cynicism, and into the hospital room, the funeral, and the private places where fear gets loud.Mercy cannot simply be something you preach about. It has to shape the way you care for those you lead.Isaiah 30:18 says, “The LORD wants to show his mercy to you. He wants to rise and comfort you” (NCV). That is God’s word to your people.It is also God’s word to you.

Focus on What Lasts

Your ministry will shrink to whatever is right in front of your face.Let that sink in.If you only look at this week’s pressure, you’ll end up building your schedule, your budget, and your emotional energy around what is urgent, not what is eternal.But God is looking for leaders with foresight. That’s what happens when you lead in light of eternity.Set your mind higher than the moment.Colossians 3:2 says, “Set your mind on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” (ESV). The Living Bible paraphrase puts it like this: “Let heaven fill your thoughts; don’t spend your time worrying about things down here.”There’s a saying that goes, “They’re so heavenly minded they’re no earthly good.” That can be true of some people. But I also know people who are so earthly minded they’re no heavenly good.I think the message the church needs to hear is simple: There is more to life than just here and now. Most people are only interested in what Christ can do for them today, this week, and in this season.But the Bible keeps calling us up and forward: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth. . . . But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven. . . . For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21 NIV).If you want foresight, build on what lasts.Pastor, I want you to get serious about answering one question for your ministry: What is going to last?These four things will still matter when everything else disappears.1. God’s Word will last.God’s Word is going to last. Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away but my words will never pass away” (Matthew 24:35 NIV). So I build my life—and I want you to build your ministry—on God’s Word.2. Faith, hope, and love will last.The Bible tells us faith, hope, and love are going to last. So build your life on them.3. People will last.People are going to last in one of two places: heaven or hell. Where I spend my time now may determine where they spend their eternity.4. Prayer will last.Prayer is going to last. Revelation 5:8 says the prayers of the saints are stored up in vials in heaven. God hears prayer. There are prayers being answered today that were prayed a hundred years ago.Don’t pour your best into what will burn up.Here is the tragedy I’ve seen over and over: Most Christians spend their time, money, energy, and effort on things that are going to burn up at the judgment.Cars are not evil. Nice clothes are not evil. The issue is what happens when the present becomes the main thing.I have seen it so many times: People get preoccupied with “right now,” and they end up getting set on a shelf spiritually.A focused life is a finished life.I really believe that Jesus, since he was perfect, never wasted a second. He knew when to relax. He knew when to have fun. He knew when to be serious. He was perfectly balanced. He knew when to be intense, and he knew when to lighten up.When Jesus was 12 years old, his first recorded statement was, “I must be about my Father’s business” (Luke 2:49 KJV). When Jesus died on the cross, some of his last words were, “It is finished!” (John 19:30 NKJV). Not “I’m finished,” but “It is finished.”What was finished? The Father’s business. Those are bookends on a successful life.

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