Tag: goals

Devotions, Proverbs 16, Proverbs 19, Psalm 20, Psalm 94

Plans

What are your plans for this school year?  Is your vision short sighted or does it contain wisdom to see further down the road beyond what a normal high school guy walks right now?  Are your plans all about you or do they have a greater goal that transcends beyond your life?
READ:
“Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.”
“In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.”
“May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.”
“The LORD knows all human plans; he knows that they are futile.”
“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.”
Take Aways:
  1. God wants us to commit our plans to Him.
  2. He is the decisive factor if they succeed or fall short.
  3. We should seek and pray that our heart and plans line up with God’s purposes.
PRAY: Jesus I need your help.  What do you want for my life today…this week…this year? Lord would you order my steps?  I don’t want to make plans that are not preparing me or leading me to Your purposes for my life. So I ask that you would change my heart and my plans to match and reflect Your heart and plans for me.  I trust and believe you will do this.  Amen.
Devotions, Mark 8

Going for the Ultimate “W”

READ: Mark 8:31-36

What is an athlete striving for on a field or court? What is his purpose. His goal?
We might say things such as improving character or learning teamwork.  While these are admirable and highly essential in any athletic endeavor, they are not the goal.
The main goal on the court or field is to get a “W”….to get a WIN!
How about you?  What’s your main goal in life?  What’s your purpose?  Have you thought about it?
What does a “W” in life look like?
When Jesus took to the fields, courts and lives of people back in the day, he talked much of living a life of purpose.  Many however thought he was breaking the rules on how to do that.  According to them, he wasn’t playing right.  And nobody likes that kind of guy.
Unless…  Unless the “rules” are wrong or they keep it impossible to see or achieve “the goal”.
You see Jesus was revealing God’s ultimate purpose. His mind was focused on the goal: to lay down his life and ultimately to do it for Gods glory. His MIND was fixed on that. Peter’s mind was only focused on “human concerns.” That’s why Jesus had to help Peter (very strongly!) see that he did not see what the “win” looked like ultimately.
Jesus gives a warning and paints a better “glory” than what the worlds ways have to offer. He said,
What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?
Can you even imagine a greater upset…to forfeit LIFE?!
An athletes goal is to win the game. And this is good.  It’s the goal while on the field.  But what if that is all he is thinking about or pursuing in life?   Or take a young man that spends all his time thinking about getting and trying to be with girls. Could it be that he might miss some other important things God is trying to grow in him?
Jesus tells us that if we live our life for Jesus and for the ultimate purposes He has planned, we will not waste it.  We will save it.  That means that if we put God first in all our interests…school, sports, relationships, work and even family…when all these things are gone we will still be longing for the Ultimate Win with Him.
Let’s be young men who are going for the Ultimate W!
THINK:
  • Do you have in mind human concerns most of the time or are you focused on what God is concerned about?
  • What have you been trying to “gain” from the world at the risk of “forfeiting” your soul?
PRAY:  Jesus forgive me for focusing all my attention and time on other things more than on You.  I want to focus on what Your most concerned about for my life.  God I want to learn more of what it means to “deny myself, take up my cross, and follow you.”  Help me with that game plan.  I don’t want to loose what is most important in this life and the next.  I know you can empower me to do this!  Amen.