What's your goal?

In managing ourselves traditional goal setting and accountability goes something like what follows:

• If you want to be more effective take some time and think of what you want.  

• If you want to be even more effective make sure what you want is SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-bound). 

• If you want to be still more effective write down your SMART goal. 

• If you want the greatest chance of success, give a copy of your SMART goal to a trusted friend and give them permission to hold you accountable for doing what you said you want to do. Give them permission to ask you the tough questions necessary to get at the real reason for your success or failure at working toward your goal.

This is a great plan but how could it be better?  Steven Covey asks in 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: What if the ladder you are climbing is against the wrong wall?  Applied to this essay: Why wouldn't I want what I want?

If we lead ourselves, we are limited by our own finite intelligence, knowledge, wisdom,experiences and resources.  We can learn from others, and that would multiply what we have available to work with, but in the end even the largest group of people is finite.  What we need is someone to lead us who knows the way.  Someone who has experienced all the joys and all the trouble that we have and yet in all ways has been successful.  We need someone who knows the end from the beginning, who knows the grand scheme of history and the future and knows our personal, meaningful purpose in it.

That someone, I suggest, is Jesus.  He knows your pain.  He has in all ways been tempted as we are but is without sin.  He knows everything.  He is the Author of history; past present and future.   And He designed you and your meaningful, personal role to play in His story.  And He loves you enough to have died to purchase forgiveness for your sins.  He will tell you the best "wall" to lean against and the best "ladder" to climb.  So ask Him.  He said, you will seek me and you will find me when you seek me with all your heart.  So seek Him today, He is waiting for you.