I have just have a few minutes here to bring a little short lesson on setting spiritual goals.
In 2017 during the Iraqi war, there was a Canadian commando sniper who took a shot and took out a target at 3,871 yards. It's about 2.2 miles with a .50 caliber sniper rifle, that's an incredible shot at an incredible distance. What makes this amazing is when you think about the physics of what it takes to pull off a shot like that. A bullet, when it reaches its terminal velocity, gets as fast as it's going to go, and it starts to slow down. As it starts to slow down, it starts to drop.
Now, someone who knows the ballistics can predict what that drop point is and they can figure out how high they've got to aim. If you've got a regular rifle and you're shooting at a deer at 300 yards, my 270 drops at about 7.5 inches, so you aim 7.4 inches high to hit the deer, where he needs to be hit.
It's estimated that to make this shot with that .50 caliber rifle the shooter had to have aimed at something 450 feet above his target. Practically shooting straight up from where he's at with his target over at 2.2 miles. He's shooting way up here in order to hit the target. Any way you look at it that's an amazing fete of ballistics. It's, amazing that someone is able to shoot with that kind of precision. What it takes is aiming very high.
You think about the Christian life, living the Christian life. We need to set our sights very high indeed as we set spiritual goals.
- Colossians 3:1-2
You know, you've got to really aim high, if you want to go to Heaven. If you want to live the best Christian life, you've got to aim high. It's been said, it's what a man would do and not necessarily what he achieves that exalts him.
- Philippians 3:13-14
Paul is saying, I haven't achieved it, yet. I haven't achieved what my goal is yet. He says, but this one thing I do, of course, his goal is living the best Christian life and going to Heaven.
He says he presses towards the mark. He doesn't think about the past. He doesn't worry about the things that are behind him. He is pressing forth.
It's like that runner who is throwing all of himself into that last burst, that last bit of the race to break that tape ahead of the one next to him, or his rival. And so, he is putting out the utmost effort. And this is not just at the end of the race but it's through the whole race he puts out this effort.
He's reaching toward those spiritual goals that he has before him. And that's the way we ought to be living our life. Reaching towards, striving for those spiritual goals that we set before us.
Spiritual Goals of the Great Men of the Bible
Think about the great men of the Bible, in both testaments, they shared one thing. And that was a purpose, a goal. They had lofty and honorable aims in this life.
Abraham
- Hebrews 11:10
With all that Abraham went through in his life, he was always striving, always looking for that city that was waiting for him in heaven.
Moses
- Hebrews 11:24-25
Moses understood that in this life, there's more. That eternity is so much more important than this life. This life is just for a moment. It is a brief time. He was looking for eternity.
Joshua
- Joshua 24:15
Joshua's final challenge to the people of Israel, But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
Jesus
- Luke 19:10
They all had a purpose. They all had a goal to achieve.
Let each of us take definite aim in our personal lives. Let us aim high so that we may reach the mark. How do we do this? What should we aim for?
Spiritual Goals for Which to Aim
Aim to be Mature
We should aim to be a mature man or woman, an adult with an open face, a big heart, big shoulders, broad shoulders, and a strong backbone.
- 1 Corinthians 13:11-12
I aim to put away childish things and be an adult, be a person of God.
Aim to be a Friend of Man
- Galatians 6:10
Let us be those who seek to do good for others, to be a boon to someone's life, and be a blessing in someone's life, not be a curse, not be a problem, not be a stumbling block.
Aim to be a friend of man.
Aim to be Self-reliant
We've got to be people of industry, of thrift, of invention, courage, and just doggedness to not give up. You need to plan to make a living, plan to stand on your own feet, and carry your own weight. You know, really, this is the law of God.
- Genesis 3:19
It is God's requirement that we stand on own feet.
Aim to be Constructive
- Matthew 7:24
We need to aim to be constructive to build our life upon the rock which is Jesus Christ. Any fool can tear down.
"It's a good thing to remember, but a better thing to do, always work with the construction gang, and not the wrecking crew." — Unknown
We need to be constructive. We need to use our words and our life in a way to build up others, to help others go to Heaven because ultimately, that is our goal. We need to aim to have God, Jehovah, as our only God, and to fear Him. Let not the things of this world become to us as idols, and it's so easy for that to do.
Be constructive. Use our words and life to build up others to help others go to Heaven.
- Ecclesiastes 12:13
Aim to Pursue Godliness
- Proverbs 4:24
These ought to be some of our aims, some of our goals.
We are to aim high so that we can hit the mark; so that we can reach that maturity that God expects us to reach as Christians, so that we can ultimately reach that goal of heaven.
In order for the church here to meet her goals, every one of us as members, need to be striving toward our own goal of achieving full maturity in Christ. And so, we need to aim high. We need to seek those things which are above. We need to set our affections upon things above, and not on things of the earth. We need to set our affection on Christ and His kingdom.
- Matthew 6:33
These ought to be some of the goals that we have. We should set a goal that I am going to be a stronger, more mature Christian this year than I was last year.
The only way to get on that path is to become a Christian. First of all, we cannot please God if we are not a part of His church. So we urge you if you're not a Christian, to put Christ on in baptism. Be baptized for the remission of your sins. Then, to live a life as a faithful child of God.
If you're not a faithful child of God, you've never obeyed the gospel, you have the opportunity right now to be baptized for the remission of your sins. If you're a Christian but have not been faithful as that child of God ought to be, you have the opportunity to repent, to make your desire to be restored known.
If we can help you in any way to respond to the invitation, let us know by contacting us so that we can assist you.
Set a goal to be a stronger, more mature Christian in your walk with God.