Attainable Goals

How is it August already? Where did July go?

Isn’t that always the way of vacations? They go by all too quickly. Before we know it, we are back to the busyness and responsibilities of our “real” lives.

At the start of a multi-week vacation, many people set goals for their time off. “This summer, I’d like to finish editing my book,” for example. (That might just be me!) Others might have goals like: “I’m going to purge my closet.” Or “I will go through my phone and delete photos or emails that do not deserve hanging out in my storage space.” Or “I’m going to change my backsplash in the kitchen.”

When we hit that halfway mark of our precious time off, we often remember those goals and think, “I’ve still got plenty of time to do that.” Then when we head back to work, we realize the days passed without completing what we wished to accomplish. It’s common to feel disappointed or angry that we “wasted” all that time.

As we age, we tend to get smarter and make our goals more attainable. If we make smaller goals, it’s easier to be successful. We might even surpass our expectations and do more! Gold star stickers for us!

Sometimes people enter the Christian life with the unattainable goal of being perfect. They kick themselves when their human nature causes them to drift from achieving that goal and worry that they do not deserve God’s love. 

Similar to our vacation goals, if we have expectations for ourselves that are too lofty, we will fail. None of us appreciates failure, and we can be very hard on ourselves when we experience it.

I’ve had a perfectionist nature all my life and like to tackle everything with the goal of perfect success. To others, it might come across as competitiveness or the aim to please. I have to remind myself that striving to be perfect is a stressful goal because it is unattainable.

Romans 3:10 says, “…None is righteous, no, not one…” The verse refers to humans. There is only One who is perfect, and He is our creator. Psalm 18:30 confirms this: “As for God, his way is perfect: The LORD’s word is flawless…”

Instead of striving to be perfect, we can ask God to make us more like Him: The Perfect One. This is an attainable goal. When we develop an intimate relationship with Jesus by reading the Bible and talking to Him, we can ask for God’s grace to help us grow.

Do you set attainable goals for yourself? Do you also struggle with perfectionism? God is greater than this disposition. He can change your mindset (and mine) to live your life to glorify Him in all you do and say by His grace. 

As we learn more about what makes God perfect, we can ask Him for those qualities. Lord, give me wisdom. Lord, give me patience. Lord, give me mercy…

Paul tells the Colossians: 

Father, I praise and adore You as the One who is perfect.

Remind me to stop trying so hard to be flawless in my own strength and to rely on Your strength instead. Lead me in your perfect way, showing me where to go and what to do in faith that You know best. Instead of striving for perfection, I give my life and will to You and make it my attainable goal to get to know You better.

Amen.

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