What's Your Big Goal In Life? - Michael J. S. Austin, Ph.D.
Many people have a goal in life. Some set realistic goals, others dream about less unattainable ones! Often the approach centers on finding personal fulfillment and satisfaction. There are large cultural differences here, and many highly gifted people in some cultures have different expectations compared with our competitive Western, goal-oriented view of life. But what about a higher goal? What if we were made for the glory, or honor and praise of God? A goal large enough to challenge you to have done with lesser things!
- A LARGE VIEW OF GOD
As I read the Bible I am struck by God's character. For instance, Jeremiah exclaims 'Ah, Lord God! It is you who made the heavens and the earth by your great power... Nothing is too hard for you' (Jeremiah 32:17). We meet descriptions like, 'Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable' (Psalm 145:3). A brief reading of Scripture shows God to be supreme, personal, all-powerful and awesome in his majesty and while he knows all things and is kind and compassionate, he always does what is perfectly good in the outworking of his eternal purpose. In short, 'The Lord reigns' (Psalm 97:1).
We also discover that God is the inexhaustible origin of wisdom, life and love, and that his purpose will not be thwarted. Indeed, everything owes its existence to his almighty power. He is triune - Father, Son and Holy Spirit, unchangeably the same, even showing kindness and pity toward wayward rebels, and at immense cost providing a great rescue or salvation through the death of Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Son - what a marvel of God's lowly stoop into this world of our humanity! This reveals how God is infinitely holy - utterly self-consistent with his own standards of moral perfection and so is opposed to everything that is opposed to him - sin, all that misses God's perfect standard and is utterly reprehensible to him. Ultimately, he is the Judge of all.
- A LARGE GOAL
So where does this bring us in our goal in life? The goal of all things is to bring glory and praise and honour to God. Ultimately all things were created to reflect and show something of the greatness, wisdom and power of God as Creator. That is the goal of creation. And we are a special, personal part of that goal! But one of the appalling results of the moral Fall is that we are self-obsessed about our own glory and self-fulfillment and focus considerable energies towards attaining our own self-glory.
How appalling and misdirected a goal! How serious a deception to think this a worthy cause and not rather use every fibre of our being to extol him for whom it all exists! God's word is clear; 'whatever you do, do all to the glory of God' (1 Cor. 10:31). There is after all no question that this goal is not sufficiently large to stretch us or challenge us! In fact, quite the contrary; it is so vast, so high a calling that we should strain every nerve towards accomplishing it, and thrill at being personally involved in so vast an honor But where shall we sin-ruined creatures of dust find the powers with which to begin to give God the glory?
- GIVE HIM THE GLORY!
First we shall need to reckon on the awful sin of self-glory and confess it to God. In this, God is approachable, but only through his beloved Son, the Lord Jesus, who shed his precious blood once for all on behalf of the self-centred rebels, when he bore the penalty of our misdirected goals and suffered for our sins. Then you may know him as your Lord and God, as your Savior to whom you owe all things, including your everlasting salvation. This will enlarge our appreciation of the high goal of giving him the glory for such love and grace, and drive us to our knees in asking for greater measures of the Holy Spirit's help and power. Now the goal of life will be to serve him who served us to the limit by saving us by a great salvation.
Now we shall aim to serve, 'by the strength that God supplies - in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen' (1 Peter 4:11). Is that your big goal in life?
IS YOUR GOAL BIG ENOUGH?
Michael J. S. Austin, Ph.D. Hello, my big goal is to show that biblical Christianity appeals to careful thinking, and is powerfully relevant today. So, I aim to share the good news of Christ crucified, risen and ascended - a Saviour who is worthy of your full confidence. And I write to help you find faith or to strengthen your faith, so that you may be SURE. I share Evangelical and Reformed convictions and have a Ph.D. from Reformation International Theological Seminary for work on the validity of reason. Use this link to my very latest Amazon Kindle e-book: 'FOR SURE! - Assurance and Evangelicalism' http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AG0WK84 Or look at this challenging title, 'I saw Him die - viewing Jesus death TODAY' http://www.amazon.com/saw-Him-die-Viewing-ebook/dp/B007TX696U/ref=pd_rhf_dp_p_t_2 Read and enjoy, and please recommend to others - Thank you! Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_J._S._Austin,_Ph.D. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7517411