Setting the Compass for my Life

Editor's Notes

• #6: Proveb 28:19 New International Version Those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies will have their fill of poverty. New Living Translation A hard worker has plenty of food, but a person who chases fantasies ends up in poverty.
• #7: The person who does not plan and the rigid person approach life from opposite perspectives. The first may be humble but does not use his or her God-given intellect to make wise decisions. This person struggles with loving God with the whole mind. The rigid planner uses his or her mind but neglects the heart. Even when his or her plans go wrong this planner stubbornly sticks with the original objectives. James 4:13-15  13Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.” 14Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. 15Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.” 16But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil. 17Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.
• #8: The apostle Paul was a man of balance. Paul planned to minister the gospel in a certain region only to switch plans as the Holy Spirit redirected him (see Acts 16:6–7). Although the apostle Paul made plans, he was sensitive to the Lord changing those same plans. That is Christ- honoring balance. We should balance both extremes by using our minds to set logical goals and action steps while humbly running them through the filters of prayer, godly counsel, Spirit-led guidance, and God’s written Word. Setting goals is important! Be careful not to be so anxious about life that you make rigid plans that are not even humanly possible to keep. Nor should you be so lazy as to not plan at all. The balanced approach makes logical plans that are submitted to the Lord for final approval.
• #10: James writes, “You do not have, because you do not ask God” (James 4:2). Ask God to be the center of your decisions and to empower you to carry out His will for your life. Seek God first and He will direct your steps. Life is the succession of small moments, each one adding up to a lifetime. Therefore, small changes applied to any life can make a big difference.
• #11: We need goals that are in agreement with the goals and mission of God. Judas disagreed with and was disappointed in Jesus. Judas probably wanted a military leader, not a martyr savior. We need to cooperate with God, and this often involves surrendering our way to do things God’s way.
• #12: We must be consistent in our effort to achieve the objective and remain fixed on accomplishing it. Consider the example of Jesus, who set His face to go to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51). He was sent for the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matthew 15:24
• #13: To aspire for goals that please God, we must get God’s direction. Ephesians 5:17 instructs, “Do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.” Goals must begin with an overall vision of what we believe to be our life mission. That vision or mission then dictates all our other goals and decisions.
• #15: Paul notes, “It is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose” (Philippians 2:13). Our attitude matters! Therefore, we must cultivate a positive attitude and believe that we can do all things through Christ.
• #16: Believers should share their goals with someone who can hold them accountable. Also, it is critical to associate with faith-filled people and encouragers. A good way to do this is to plug into a healthy Bible-based church.
• #17: Jesus said in John 13:17 that you are blessed if you do the will of God. Honoring God while we pursue our goals requires courage, the willingness to take action even though the outcome is uncertain. Such courage is attained only as we develop a lifestyle of conscious dependence on God