More importantly, do we have any goals on becoming a better Christian? Are we, like the apostle Paul, “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).
This is critical because one day, we shall all appear before God to give an account on how we lived our life. We are responsible for our salvation and testimony. Paul, in his letter to the church in Corinth wrote: “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad” (2 Cor 5:10). Let us be mindful that there will come a day when we have to appear before God to account on how we had lived our life.
Are we living our life for God’s glory or are we living our life for self? Let us take time to review our spiritual goals. If you have not, these are some suggestions for setting goals for spiritual growth.
First, do not miss worship service unless it is for an act of compassion. “Let us not neglect our church meetings, as some people do, but encourage and warn each other, especially now that the day of his coming back again is drawing near” (Heb 10:25). With the Covid-19 pandemic, our church is broadcasting pre-recorded worship. In the month of July, we are doing a live stream for worship in church. We must make it our priority to tune in for worship. Through hymns and God’s Word, this will provide nourishment for our spiritual life. Second, it is important that we keep our bible time. Set a time, be it the beginning of the day, during lunch break or at the close of the day, to read and meditate on God’s Word.
Make it a point to pray and intercede for your needs and the needs of our church. It is important to look out for the needs of each other. The Covid-19 pandemic is going to stay for some time yet. This may result in more job losses or salary cuts. It will be sometime more before we can return to church for worship and fellowship. Hence it is critical to stay in touch with one another. There is no better way to keeping in touch than to attend prayer meet and fellowship. Make it a point to attend our church online prayer meeting, Sunday School, and fellowship. The programs are designed to keep our spiritual life vibrant and strong. Through the prayer and fellowship meeting, we will be able to better understand the needs of others and allow us to pray and care in a more meaningful way.
Some of us may not have set any goals for this year. May I strongly encourage you to set achievable goals. It is not too late to set goals. We should set goals so that we can be driven to achieve our set goals. Goals could be set in our spiritual life, physical life, academic/career, community/social aspects of our life. With these goals in mind, have a plan to execute these plans. May we spend our life in gospel outreach and building a strong spiritual life. Let us seize every opportunity to share the gospel with our friends, family, and loved ones. There are other ministries in our church which we can be involved in—church prayer ministry, Sunday school, fellowship, church worship ministry, visitation, gospel rallies, church camp, and giving financially to support the gospel work and church ministries.
May our life count for God and for His gospel. At the end our life’s journey will we hear from our Master: “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!” (Matthew 25:21).