What is your highest hope for 2020? If you are like many people, you look at the New Year and determine to set some new goals.
Some goals during this time of year, perhaps most of the goals, will relate to your physical health or picking up a new hobby. Some goals may relate to your financial well-being. You may set a goal to read more books this year or start a new educational plan.
Whatever your goals may be this year, hopefully you will also include spiritual goals. These could be the most important goals that you start this year. You see, spiritual goals help us accomplish all the other goals in our life. Spiritual goals are like food and water for the soul.
When your soul is spiritually healthy, then you have strength and wisdom for every area of your life. If you are not engaged in spiritual goals you may lack strength and vitality.
Here are examples of some good spiritual goals:
- I will read the Bible every day.
- I will keep a journal and write down one verse that speaks to me for that day from my reading.
- I will memorize one verse of Scripture a week from my reading of God’s Word.
- I will write down my prayer list in a journal and keep track of answers to prayers.
- I will make every attempt to attend church and hear God’s Word every Sunday this year.
Now this list is an example of five goals that do not take a lot of time, but they could lead to a big return for your spiritual life over the course of a year.
If you are reading God’s Word, you will have wisdom because God’s Word is wisdom for our lives. If you read and write down God’s Word, you will be meditating on God’s truth and meditation helps us to obey God’s Word. If you memorize verses from God’s Word, and the enemy comes to tempt and distract you…you will have an answer. If you keep track of your prayer requests and answers, you will see God’s goodness and His involvement in your life, and you will be encouraged.
In the book of James, the Bible says if you “draw near to God He will draw near to you” (James 4:8). As believers we can have a personal relationship with our Creator and Redeemer. He wants us to know Him and value spending time with Him!
He wants to be our friend!