We are taught from grade school forward that we need to set goals in life: Make a plan. Set short-range and long-term goals. “Winners never quit; quitters never win!” We use to-do lists, business models and degree plans. With all of these planning tools at our disposal, you would think that we’d have a clue about what is going on in our lives.

 

So, what is your No. 1 goal in life?

 

Is your priority to stay (or become) fit/healthy/attractive? The Bible describes our bodies as God’s temple because the Holy Spirit dwells in us (check out 1 Corinthians 3), but it also warns that the pursuit of godliness is more important than physical training (1 Timothy 4:8). Is it wrong to want to be fit? Of course not … unless it becomes more important than your relationship with God.

 

Is your goal to become wealthy? Being financially stable can be a good thing! There are at least 123 verses in the Bible using the term “giving” and 158 with the word “gift.” However, Luke 18:25 reminds us that it is difficult for the wealthy to know God if they become too dependent on their riches.

 

Maybe you are a driven professional whose focus is career-centered, and your biggest goal is to climb to the highest rung of the corporate ladder. While 2 Thessalonians 3:10 warns about the pitfalls of laziness and unwillingness to work, James chapter 1 also has a lot to say to over-achievers about pride and humility.

 

If all of our goals can have an upside and a downside, then what are we to do? What should our No. 1 goal in life be? Our new series based on a book by Tom Holladay: “The Relationship Principles of Jesus” that will help answer that question.