At the start of a new year, many people make lists of goals they want to accomplish. It’s a common practice, but it deserves a closer look. Although planning for the future seems practical, we should consider what the Bible says about setting goals.
A View on Goal Setting and Preparedness
I once had a friend in Africa ask me, “Is it wrong for me to bring emergency tools when I travel into the wilderness? Does it show that I have little faith?”
My response was to ask him another question, “Is it wrong to eat healthy to keep your body strong? Or to wear a seatbelt?” His response was obviously, “No.”
I have always felt that there is nothing wrong with a little preparedness. As a former Boy Scout, the phrase “always be prepared” is basically seared into me. This is how I have lived much of my life. I try to be prepared both physically and mentally. Of course, I try to have all the stuff I need. Also, I want to think about what’s coming and have goals for how I want my future to look. There are those who are focused on the past and those who are focused on the present. I tend to be future-minded. My wife and co-workers may suggest that I am a bit too future-minded—to a fault.
I was brought up to believe that goals are a really good thing and that thinking ahead is a mentality to be commended.
As with anything in our culture, though, as Christians and believers in Christ, we must test these cultural ideas up against Scripture. I think it’s important for us to ask the question, “What exactly does the Bible say about setting goals and having future plans?”
What the Bible Says About Goals
As you may know, “setting goals” is not a subject that is incredibly overt in the Scriptures. In fact, the word “goal” occurs 5 times or less in all of Scripture (depending on your translation), and in no case is it about setting future goals. We will explore some of the ways that the concept of goals is present in the text, but it is worth noting there is no Bible verse (for example) commanding Christians to have a 5-year plan.
As I read through lists of Scriptures that pertain to words like “goals” and “plans,” a very interesting picture begins to emerge. One that, at first, looks a little like all the pieces may not perfectly fit together.
Let’s start with the case for goals…
There are several notable examples in Scripture where it’s good to have future goals. For instance, Noah. Many estimate that it took Noah decades to build the ark. I would consider that something he had to have a goal to accomplish. Or consider Joseph, who led the effort to store grain for seven years in preparation for seven years of famine—that’s also a goal. Or all the work Paul did in the early church, making it his ambition to preach the Gospel where it was not known (Romans 15:20). That is a goal.
Proverbs 21:5 says, “Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty” (NLT). And in Proverbs 6:6-11 the writer encourages his reader to work hard with his mind on the future. All that to say, there is absolutely evidence of Scripture affirming future-mindedness.
On the flip side of this tension, we see Scriptures that seem to indicate that we should not focus on the future. Consider James 4:13-15 where James writes that it is “evil” and “boastful” to have a confident future plan.
So, what’s going on here? Does the Bible teach that goals are good or bad?
How God’s Plans for Us Can Change
I have a beat-up decorative tin plate in my house that reads, “If you want to make God laugh, tell him your future plans.” I love that plate. It was gifted to me during a time in my life when God was actively changing my future trajectory.
From the time I was a little kid, I had always wanted to be an engineer. It was my life’s dream, and some would say I was made for it. As a kid and teen, I had few friends and spent much of my time in the garage, building everything from catapults to push carts. When I found out at the age of 10 or 11 that I could make a lot of money designing and building things, I was sold. That became my focus.
I wanted to get good grades so I could go to a good engineering school and get a good job. I devoted a lot of time and energy to this goal. I enrolled in a high school that had a pre-engineering program, I joined the robotics team, and I even took advanced math and science classes.
Needless to say, in spite of all my best efforts, God had other plans. I did study engineering for one year in college, and during that year, God did some heavy lifting in my life. By the end of my freshman year of engineering school, I knew that God had other plans for me. He chose me for a different purpose. Eventually, I discovered that he was calling me to ministry, specifically Gospel proclamation.
In the days directly after the shift God brought into my life, I would have told you that goals are useless. My view was that there was no good reason to have a goal because God would just change it. Since then, I have been able to hone my perspective. It is clear to me that goals themselves are not the problem. Rather, the core issue is how we determine which goals we pursue.
The Key to Biblical Goal Setting
When it comes to goal setting, the key is in how we decide what we pursue. We need to submit our goals to God from the beginning. We need to change our conversation with God from, “Here is my goal, God, please bless it,” to “Lord, I submit my future to you, what goals do you have for me?”
It’s noteworthy that it was God who told
- Noah to build the ark
- Joseph to store grain
- Paul to preach the Gospel
It’s exactly what Scripture says: Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight” (NIV).
Goals worth pursuing are found in submission to God’s will. After all, that’s how James concludes his statement in chapter four: James 4:15 “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that” (ESV).
Getting our goals from God instead of ourselves may require patience and intentional listening, but it will be worth it! When we get our goals from God, it allows us to partner with Him and walk along the trajectory He has for our lives. This positions us to be able to receive His plan and blessings like never before.
As we journey into 2024, set aside some intentional time to spend in prayer with God, asking Him to reveal and shape your goals for the future. You may be surprised by what He shows you!
