Goal setting and Planning the Bible Way

Some people have the misconception that because you are a Christian, goal setting and planning are a waste of time. After all, God is in control of all and all things work together for our good so why bother set goals?

This, however, is not scriptural right. In fact, in the scripture, we see how God Himself had plans. An instance is the plan of salvation from the foundation of the earth. God had a plan to save man through His son Jesus Christ. It took so many centuries.  However, you can see through the pages of the bible how God consistently stuck to His plan even up to the precision of time and the lineage from which Jesus came.

The opposite of goal setting and planning is to live by chance. God doesn’t want us to live this way.

Proverbs 21:5 (AMP) talks about “The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance and advantage…“

Hebrews 12:2 (MSG) talks about how Jesus was able to endure because He never lost sight of where He was headed… he could put up with anything along the way…”

Another bible example of planning and goal-setting is the story of Nehemiah. Though not often spoken of, the book of Nehemiah is full of lessons about leadership and wisdom for everyday living. We see Nehemiah burdened about the news of the state of Jerusalem even though he had a ‘secure’ job outside. We see him begin to pray but not only did he pray, but he also planned as well. Such that when God granted him favour before the king, he knew what answers to give.

He was asked, “How long do you need for your project?” and he was able to tell without hesitation the number of days he needed. He also asked for other things as well. He could only do the thing because he had planned ahead of time, the step-by-step details of what he needed to do. Even when he got back home, he was able to stay away from the distractors he had because he had a plan he was following.

The same was the case for Esther when she was told about the plans of Haman for the Jews. We see goal setting here as well. She prayed and came up with a plan which when she followed through led to her people’s deliverance.

Therefore, let no one think that because you are a child of God, you ought not to plan. It is advantageous to set goals – especially when you are led of God. In fact, as a child of God, you ought not to go about setting goals without first praying and seeking direction from God. Also, as can be inferred from the bible examples above, God doesn’t just care about ministry alone. God is also interested in the everyday lives we live: our career, our families, our communities. He cares about the seemingly mundane things.

Many fear their goals may not align with God’s and hence it would distract them. While that is a legitimate concern, we need to remember that God is more eager to lead you than you are to be led. Click To Tweet

God is our father so He would not just leave you in the dark. All you have to do is to ask him in the place of prayer. Also, another check you can have is crosschecking your goals and priorities with the Word of God. Anything that contradicts clearly isn’t of God. It is also very critical that you seek counsel of trusted children of God for in the multitude of counsel, there is safety.

Finally, do away with fear and move with boldness in the direction God is leading you.

Friends, even if you fail, your failure isn’t strong enough to trump God’s ultimate plan for your life. Click To Tweet

You have to believe this and set goals as you are led by God. When you are done planning, do well to follow through with diligence and faithfulness.