By JERRY FIGUEROA, Youth Week 2001 Series

Have A Plan! Creating Goals For A Lifetime

I remember one summer afternoon watching my boys pour little buckets full of water into the ground. As I got up to see what they were doing I saw that a hole the size of a tennis ball bubbled up with hundreds of little ants being driven from the home that they had worked so hard to create. Perhaps the most amazing of all the different types of insects in our backyard, the ant - by divine appointment - has one specific job. Their sole purpose is to either dig, or fight, or deliver food, with the expressed goal of the continued life of the ant colony. How focused they are, how dedicated they work each day.

If only my life were so structured from the get-go!

↓ Continuing reading this article below
 

Books related to this article Wise Up: Stand Clear of the Unsmartness of Sin Early Teen Discipleship, 2.) by Kevin Johnson The second book of the Early Teen Discipleship series, Wise Up, guides teens through the Bible’s basic teaching on sin and promotes the present and eternal values of avoiding it by sticking close to Jesus. It shows that real wisdom doesn’t come from book smarts but from knowing and following the example of Jesus. At Amazon.com for $7.99. Roaring Lambs by Bob Briner Briner's book conveys his longing for Christians to no longer be complacent; we need to become roaring lambs for Christ. Bob Briner would have told you, "Absolutely!" Roaring Lambs is Briner's manifesto of our proper stance regarding the "culture-shaping arena." Christians can and ought to be the movers and shakers of social change -- "roaring lambs" who infiltrate and make an impact on their workplace and world with their faith. There's also a useful discussion guide that will help you and your friends put shoe leather to your faith. At Amazon.com for $10.39

I believe that God does have a plan specifically tailored for me, Jerry Figueroa, father of 4 boys and husband to a precious wife. The good news is that God is the ultimate planner and His purposes range from eternity to eternity. Your life may appear to be out of control in the short-term, but God has everything under control long-term. Fortunately for you and me, the Bible is rich with details of how we can find 1.) our purpose and priorities in life (God, family, church, profession - see earlier article) and, 2.) have a long range plan.

"Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. Do not swerve to right or the left; keep your foot from evil." - Proverbs 4:25-27

Who Knows?
Where are you going to be in 6 months? 1 year? 3 years? How about next Monday? The real answer is that while we can't tell what the future will bring, we can plan for what it might bring. Having a system of checks and balances causes you to plan and evaluate against your long-term goals. While this constant doing-and-evaluating requires discipline and dedication, over a lifetime you will have achieved what God has intended for you.

Question & Answer
Let's take a look at a few questions, then think about the answers for a bit and write them down someplace where you can review them later.

1. What are your goals?

2. What opportunities do you see coming about?

3. What obstacles do you see?

4. What is your timeframe (when do you need to get it done)?

Answering these 4 questions should lead you down a path of deciding what's important, and what can be left off your list. In fact, as you're writing down your goals, place the letter A next to those that are extremely important, place the letter B to those that have medium importance, and place the letter C next to those that are nice but you may not be ready to attempt.

What's missing? Are they all goals you're ready to start working on today?

Details, Details!
Now, one by one, select each of your extremely important goals and fill in the details as to:

1. What it is

2. Why you are doing it

3. What you expect to happen initially

4. What you need to do to achieve it

5. What might get in the way

Time To Commit!
Now that you've taken the time to pull together the specifics of your goals and their importance to your life, it's time to commit to the following:

1. Take a daily action toward achieving your goal

2. Review your plan weekly

As you commit to this plan you'll find that over time, even with hiccups and a few stumbles here and there, you're achieving what you set out to do. Throughout this process, be sure to seek God's guidance and the counsel of godly people each step of the way. When you've achieved a goal, be sure to thank God first, and then share your victories with friends and loved ones.

Remember the value and importance of planning. Joseph was an awesome example of long-range planning. His advice to Pharaoh about storing extra food during the seven years of abundance in advance of the seven years of famine not only saved Egypt but provided for his family also.

Final Question
How about you, are you disciplined enough to be a long-range planner? The next time you're in the backyard, watch those little ants march here and there towards the goal of keeping the colony fed and working!

---

Jerry Figueroa is the co-executive producer for Inspired Christian.org and does indeed have some goals in his life.

---