Though you have not seen him, you love him; though not seeing him now, you believe in him, and you rejoice with inexpressible and glorious joy, because you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:8-9 (CSB)
No matter what goal you achieve, none will compare to, nor be as important as, the salvation of your soul. And then the goal becomes sharing that faith with others by the way we live and love.
From the moment my son Ethan was born, my heart’s desire was for him to know Jesus. The goal was never for him to graduate at the top of his high school class (which he did) or become the President of the United States (yet to be determined!). It was always for him to have a relationship with Jesus. Everything else becomes a bonus.
For too many years, the goal for my own life was to lose weight. Yes, I knew Jesus but making Him known to others wasn’t my top priority. I wanted others to notice me, so I put my efforts into losing weight.
We see it all over social media all of the time. People publish their success stories, their “before” pictures with the goal of posting a smaller “after” picture. This has us focusing on superficial things. On goals that are not sustainable. On goals that are fleeting.
When I was racing multiple times a year, I had goals. I often had an A goal (the finish time that I could achieve if everything went just right), a B goal (the time I was pretty sure I could log if most things went according to plan), and a C goal (the time I’d be okay with). If I didn’t reach the A, B, or C goal, then I was hanging my head at the end of the race.
Nothing compares to achieving the goal of knowing Jesus. So many of our pursuits and goals are temporary. Like I mentioned, I’ve trained for races with a goal in mind. I might have achieved it for that particular event, but I’m not running at that pace anymore. And I can assure you that most of the transformation photos that have been plastered on social media wouldn’t look the same if we got a current update.
Knowing Jesus can’t be broken down to an A, B, or C goal. We’re either all in when it comes to following Him, or we’re not. Once you’re all in with Jesus, you can embrace your life’s calling with clarity and focus.
While there is nothing wrong with having goals, it’s important not to allow them to distract you from the ultimate goal – the salvation of your soul. It’s the only thing that endures. It’s the only thing that will bring true and lasting joy.
Action Step
Have your personal goals trumped the goal of your faith? Are you placing more significance on your earthly success and achievements than you are on your faith and sharing it with others? Take some time today to make the necessary adjustments in your focus and your pursuits.
