6 Biblical Tips for Setting Goals
Check out my journaled picture of FEAR blocking my path and enjoy the 6 Tips on Goal Setting found in the Bible in this week's Bible Stories Today.
Here are the 6 things we learn from Caleb in the Old Testament about Goal setting:
1. Courageously list your opportunities
2. Take time to study your options
3. Report to God and an accountability partner
4. Don't let the majority's fear rule you.
5. Choose Faith--I can do hard things with God
6. Give me this mountain
Transcript
Tamara Anderson 0:00
How would you like to see a picture I drew in my journal back in October, when I was setting some really big goals, I think it'll surprise you. There's the picture. Let's see if I can get this. There you go, you see that? Me paralyzed by fear was in my path. And yet I could see where I wanted to go. You can see my vision. And I knew that's where I wanted to end up. But I was too scared to take the steps.
Tamara Anderson 0:30
Have you ever felt that way? Have you ever felt like you know where you'd like to end up in life, but you felt paralyzed by fear? If so, you are not the first one to feel that way. There are lots of people that feel that way, especially when when you look at big goals that challenge you and make you feel like you're really stretching yourself and pushing yourself. And that's actually how I felt when I was deciding if I really was going to launch the podcast in January, and I had this inner battle that went on, Should I do it, should I not do it? It'd be so easy to just stay in my little bubble and be happy. And no one would know any difference except for me, I wouldn't know the difference, I would have known that I could do better in my life. And I knew God expected more of me, I could feel that. And so that inner conflict just went on. And so finally, I just drew a picture of it. Because that perfectly explained how I felt I felt like I was on the path I was supposed to be. But I was totally paralyzed by fear. And I couldn't take another step.
Tamara Anderson 1:44
And it's only once I lifted my sights and saw where I wanted to go and had faith instead of fear that I was able to say, I've got to focus on that instead of this huge fear. That's right in my way. And as I focused on that, and committed, that's where I'm going, I was able to get through the fear. And so I'm going to tell you a story today that parallels that. And I think it's appropriate as we enter this new year 2019. And think about resolutions.
Tamara Anderson 2:13
And this story comes from the time of the children of Israel. And they had wandered through the wilderness, they just escaped the Egyptians. And they came into this land of Canaan, that they had been promised by the Lord or they were kind of on the outskirts of Canaan. And Moses sent a group of men to go and kind of spy out the land and check it out and see what it was like, so that they could bring a report back to the people.
Tamara Anderson 2:42
And so there, there was a person I'm going to talk particularly about today, and his name was Caleb. And so I'm going to kind of walk you through this process of the six things we can learn from Caleb and the children of Israel, about setting and hitting goals.
Tamara Anderson 3:04
And so let's start out in Numbers chapter 13. And we're going to read verses 17 through 20. And this is the first principle it says, "And Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan and said into them, get you up this way southward, and go up into the mountain and see the land what it is, and the people that dwell there in whether they be strong or weak, few or many, and what the land is that they dwell in, whether it be good or bad, and what cities they be that dwell in. Whether intense certain strongholds, and what the land is, whether it be fat, or lean, whether wood they're in or not." And so he's just saying, go check it out, see what it is, and bring us back a description of it.
Tamara Anderson 3:53
And I think that's the first principle we can learn from this is it's important to look at our options, when we're deciding to set goals, and kind of wait and see what should we do check out our opportunities. But there's one other key in verse 20, that we need to pay close attention to, and I haven't read it to you yet. And it says and "be of good courage and bring of the fruit of the land." And so that principle, to courageously look at our opportunities. And I think that's the first thing that we need to make that list, make a list, what are the things I could do, and put things on there that maybe you've had as goals forever, or things that scare you a little bit be courageous and write those on the list right? So that is the first thing you need to do.
Tamara Anderson 4:48
The second thing is in verse 25, and it says, "And they returned from searching the land after 40 days." So this wasn't something He decided after one day, wham, bam, that's what we're doing. They spent 40 days there, and they looked and they examined and they took time. And so often, I think, we look at New Year's resolutions in the fact that I've got to set it by January 1, or that first week in January, gotta get it done. Maybe it would be good thing to start the list on January 1. Take a couple of weeks to write down ideas that come to your mind, and then study them out and kind of look at them and decide what what thing would be the best thing for me to do this year. So take that time, don't feel like you have to set the goal on January 1, for Pete's sakes, take time. And that's what we learned from Caleb and the other spies is they took time to kind of examine their situation.
Tamara Anderson 5:55
And once you kind of examined your situation, the spies came back, and they reported back to Moses and Aaron. And it says, "And they went and came to Moses and Aaron and to all the children, all the congregation of the children of Israel, and they brought backward." And so they they came and they reported back. And so I think the principle here of reporting back can apply to us. We can find either an accountability partner, which I strongly suggest you do if you're going to set a big goal, somebody that you can report back to and say, Hey, I've chosen a goal. So find someone that you can report back to and I think the second person, or maybe the first person you should report back to should be God and just say, God, I'm deciding to do this goal. And so and then find an accountability partner. So God and an accountability partner report back and have it be something you do on a weekly basis, find someone that you are, that will hold you accountable. Because often if I'm by myself, I tend to maybe not be as accountable to when it's me. But if I know I've committed and somebody else is going to kind of hold me to it, I'm much more likely to do something.
Tamara Anderson 7:12
So that is the third principle report back. Number four, This is in verses 27 and 28. And this is interesting. So I want you to pay attention this, he said, "and they this is the arrest of the spies that says they told them we came into the land whether thou sent us us and surely it flew with milk and honey. And this is the fruit of it and they brought the fruit right." And then here's the interesting thing, they said, "nevertheless, the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled in very great." And then if you skip down, it says in verse 31, "we be not able to go up against the people for they are stronger than we." That my friends, this picture right here, let's see if I can get it right.
Tamara Anderson 8:00
There you go. That's the picture right there. They went into the land, they saw where they wanted to be, but they were paralyzed by fear. And so you are going to find that same principle to be true. The majority of people and this is principle number four majority people that fear rule them, instead of faith, fear, they're like, it's great, we should have that vision, but we're too scared to take that first step. We're too scared to commit to do it. And, and so that is the decision, you have to decide, are you going to be one of those people that is ruled by fear? And I hope that you choose not to be because it's it's easier to let fear rule you but you don't grow. And so the question is, do you want to grow? Do you want to change? And if you do, you got to take this next step, which is number five.
Tamara Anderson 8:57
And I'm going to switch over to numbers 14, we've been in numbers 13, and go into numbers 14, verses seven and nine. And this is Caleb and Joshua, that this is their report, it says, "and they speak into all the company, the children of Israel saying the land, which we pass through to search it is an exceedingly good land. If the Lord delight in us, then he will bring us into this land and give it us a land which flow with with milk and honey, only rebel not ye against the Lord, neither Fear ye the people of the land, for their bread for us, their defense has departed from them. And the Lord is with us. Fear them not."
Tamara Anderson 9:39
And I love that they understood this concept of fear. And I'm sure they felt a little bit of it too. But they let their faith over overcome their fear and say, You know what, if God is gonna bless us, we can do this. And so that's the fifth principle week do hard things with God on our side. And so I think that's one of the reasons that step number three of reporting back and making that decision with God is so crucial and so important, because if God is on your side, nothing is impossible.
Tamara Anderson 10:15
And then principle number six, I'm going to take you over to Joshua. And this is a little bit of Caleb, well, when he is 85 years old, finally getting to enter the land of Canaan, with Joshua, and in verse 12, So Joshua, chapter 14, verse 12, it says, this is these are his words, and I love them. It says, "Now, therefore, give me this mountain, whereof the Lord spake in that day." And, and I love that, give me this mountain, I can do it, he, let's see if I can do this, again. He was looking up here, at this goal, give me this mountain! this is where I want to be. I'm not gonna let this rule me, I'm gonna I have my eye on this vision. This is where I want to be. I want to be up here, give me this mountain. He was confident he was courageous, because he knew that with God, he could do anything. And this is even after sitting in the wilderness for forty years. Give me this mountain.
Tamara Anderson 11:22
And so that is my invitation to all of you as you look at 2019 Remember these six principles: First, to look at your opportunities courageously. Second, take time to weigh them. Don't just impulsively make one rash decision. Think about it. Pray about it. Third, report back to God and an accountability partner regularly. If you do that you will be successful in navigating your mountain. Fourth, don't let the majority of the people who fear things rule you, you are confident and courageous and you can do hard things, do it. Number four, don't let the majority fear overrule you. Number five, have faith that you can do hard things with God that's kind of that antithesis, to to fear, you've got to have that faith in God. With God, I can do it. And then number six, give me this mountain! Press forward courageously, because you can do hard things. And just keep walking. Keep pushing up towards that mountain.
Tamara Anderson 12:36
Anyway, that is my message for you today. I hope that you can find and set courageous new goals for 2019. I know it's something I've done the last two years. And it has made such a huge difference in my life. I will put a link in the bottom notes of a packet that I'm giving away free called My inspired resolution that you can follow and use and it's a workbook to help you navigate this, if you'd like it, and I invite you to share this with others who may be struggling with new year's resolutions. Maybe they just need a new perspective and an idea of how to set that resolution with God's help. So have a wonderful and successful end of the year 2018 and press forward on to 2019 with courage like Caleb and Joshua and have a wonderful day. Hope on!
Transcribed by https://otter.ai