In a perfect world there would be no trouble. Even more, people who love God would never see a day of distress. But that’s not the reality of our fallen, imperfect world. We will all face hard seasons of life. As someone who has survived many hard seasons, struggled with anxiety and depression and fought to hold on to Truth and faith through it all–I’m sharing six things that help me move forward in the midst of a trial.
“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me [Jesus]. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33
I didn’t mean to make this a multi-part series. However, God laid so much on my heart I thought it best to break it up. This is Part II of a three part series. You can see the introduction and further details in Part Ihere.
Progress Looks Different During a Hard Season of Life
When circumstances change and life presents something difficult (or downright painful) your days will look different. In a hard season of life you’ll need to loosen your grip on whatever you consider “normal.” Not all hardships require defining a new normal, but you need to be flexible. Being too closely tethered to an ideal of “normal” will only cause anxiety and added stress. Believe me, I’ve been there.
Progress needs a different definition when walking through trials. I’ve found it freeing to admit when I’m in the midst of trial, then accept that progress will be taking a different form for a while.
During a hard season of life, progress might just be getting through the day with all basic needs met. That doesn’t mean you are completely stalled or moving backwards. Every day is one closer to the end of the season. Every day hard fought is progress toward the end of the tunnel.
The point is, let go of your ideal of “progress” for a while. Perseverance, the ability to endure, and the ability to creatively problem solve during a trial is progress. Life experience is never wasted, especially when we entrust it to God.
Extend Grace
Grace is key to any Christian’s walk and worldview. (Romans 3:24) We cannot possibly begin to grasp God’s love for us, until we begin to understand His grace. God’s grace induces the miracle of our sins being completely covered. (Ephesians 2:8-9) His grace bridges the gap of death through Jesus’ sacrifice and allows us to be right before Him.
Grace is everything. When we have even a little understanding of what God’s grace has done for us–and how undeserving we are of its gift–we are convicted to extend grace outwardly beyond ourselves.
But often the hardest person to extend grace toward is oneself.
I cannot say this loudly enough. During a trial, you must extend grace toward yourself in order to move forward. Remember the grace God has given you. He isn’t expecting you to be perfect, He doesn’t want your works. God wants your heart. That’s something you can give, even when everything else seems to have stalled. If God is okay extending you grace, you can follow His lead and extend some to yourself.
Grace will allow you to redefine progress (see #1). Grace will be a net that catches you before you fall into an abyss of depression, anxiety and self-loathing. To survive a difficult season in life, grace is your biggest ally.
Ask For Help and Be Specific
Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.
I’ve learned this one over and over. Hard seasons of life are even harder when you face them alone. Trials often leave us feeling isolated and lonely. Satan clouds our mind with the lie that “no one wants to hear about our trouble,” or “we should deal with this on our own.” (More on overcoming lies here and here.)
That’s not the way the Church works. God has called us to work together and support one another. Would you be happy to help a friend facing difficult season? Chances are they’d be happy to help you too.
But here’s the catch. No one can read minds.
Do some brainstorming. Think of concrete things that could help you during this season. Besides magically turning everything back to “the way it was,” what would ease your load? (Both mentally and physically.)
Then reach out and ask for help.
My parents and friends were invaluable to me during this latest trial. (See Part I for details.) After days spent miserable, lonely and literally sick with first trimester nausea I made a list of ways others could help. Then I humbled myself and started asking for help. Here are a couple things that I asked others to do:
When my parents came to visit I asked them to meal plan and cook for us–because even the thought of food could make me gag.
Friends babysat while I went to doctor appointments and got groceries.
I identified the loneliest, hardest times of day and asked friends to join Gideon and me for afternoon walks in the park.
What tangible helps would ease your burden?
You Can Get Through a Hard Season of Life.
Now may the God of peace—who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood—may he equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to him. All glory to him forever and ever! Amen.
You can do this. Hard seasons of life will continue to arise, but you can continue to move forward. And Jesus will hold your hand and equip you every step of the way. Remember, in the narrative of our lives, God is not the enemy. He is the hero, the redeemer, the one who brings good from the villain’s craftiest, most wicked schemes. Cling to that truth and remember seasons don’t last forever. (We’ll talk more about that in Part III.)
What helps you move forward? I’d love to hear from you. Comment here or join me on Instagram or Facebook to be part of a community seeking to live life with intentionality and through a Christ-centered lens.
Today I’m excited to announce a new “mini” series. We all feel stuck sometimes–especially during a difficult season in life. I’ll be sharing six lessons that have helped me move forward and become “unstuck” during a trial.Read Part II hereand Part III here.
Be serious! Be alert! Your adversary the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour. Resist him and be firm in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are being experienced by your fellow believers throughout the world.
Now the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will personallyrestore, establish, strengthen, and support you after you have suffered a little.
The book of 1 Peter was written during a dark time in history. In the Roman Empire, Nero was brutally persecuting Christians. It’s safe to say that all Jesus followers were facing a difficult season in life at the time. For that reason, I find 1 Peter to be one of the best reads when facing a trial.
This passage, from the conclusion of his letter is so clearly instructive for anyone feeling stuck in hardship or a difficult season in life:
Be alert. Don’t fall prey to the enemy. You aren’t alone. God will personally see you through. He will bring good. This will end.
Honestly, is that not the best advice when walking through a difficult season?!
My Most Recent (mini) Difficult Season
Yesterday I dropped the “official” news that we are expecting a second little at the end of October. I’ve only been pregnant once before, so in no way can I claim to be an “expert.” I can only tell you that this time around has been very different and very difficult.
Unlike my first pregnancy, which had terrible–but acute–nausea, this time I felt puky around the clock. With no reprieve. It lasted all day. And all night. Movement made it worse, snacking made it better–but the idea of food, or looking at food left me gagging. I spent days calculating the minutes until I had to face food to prepare another meal or snack. Dreading the basic responsibility of feeding myself and Gideon.
The house was still mid-renovation, so there was the added responsibility of getting that back in shape. Then the pandemic hit and all of my “regular,” distracting activities stopped–leaving me lonely and alone with only nausea, high emotions, unfinished projects and a toddler for company. On top of it all, Derek was gone and unlike other deployments, I had no idea when he’d be back. I was miserable. Day after day I was frustrated, sick and had no idea when any of it would end.
We Will All Face a Difficult Season in Life
I’m not fishing for sympathy. I just need to spell out that the past few months have been hard. And, in many ways, unpleasant. I felt excited and so grateful about adding a second child to our family. However, it is difficult to live in pregnant bliss with a deployed husband, sick stomach, house in remodel shambles and social distancing restrictions in place. Today I’m not writing about pregnancy woes. Rather, I’m writing about feeling stuck and stalled during any difficult season in life.
The truth is, we’ll all need to survive a difficult season in life at some point. In difficult times, it is hard to move forward, stay faithful, persevere or just show up for the day ahead. No matter what is causing your hard season, take heart. You can get through it and Jesus will walk beside you every step of the way. He’ll even bring good from it, if you let Him.
I’ll Be Sharing Five Lessons That Help Me Move Forward During A Trial
Over the next week I’ll be sharing six things that have helped me move forward during a trial–this particular trial and those that came before…and the ones yet to come. I hope you’ll find some hope in my lessons learned. If you are walking through a difficult season in life right now, I hope you’ll come back.
Take Heart
Until then know that the One who create everything from nothing can create something lovely from whatever ugly situation is staring you in the face. The God who redeemed us from death can surely redeem your trial. He can transform it into a testimony worth shouting from the roof. He can even do it with your joy intact. You aren’t alone. It will be okay again.
Hang out with me on Instagram or Facebook. It’s where I share more encouragement and antics from this wild ride I’m on with God. He is so so good.
Thanks for joining me. Today I’m sharing a topic that’s been on my heart for many months. This seems like the ideal time to finally put the proverbial pen to paper and write it down. I’m talking about the difference between happiness and joy. Too often we use these words interchangeably. However, the Bible shows us that there is a real and important difference between happiness and joy.
Unhappiness Is Easy
There’s a lot to be unhappy about right now. We are living through unusually hard times. Work looks different. School looks different. Relationships look different. Worship, ministry, connection, and routine all look different and unfamiliar right now.
Unhappiness is easy. And happiness is an easy goal to set–but not an easy goal to achieve. It’s so easy to say, “I just want to be happy…” Or, “I’d be happy if…” (I’m very guilty of the latter.) All too often things come up and get in the way of our happiness. Because happiness is tightly tethered to what is happening around us, happiness often rests on things out of our control.
Given the fallen state of our world and an often engrained sense of entitlement, unhappiness and discontentment can be the state we naturally gravitate toward. Unhappiness is something we commiserate over together. It brings us together, it’s common ground where otherwise there might be none.
I’m sure you’ve seen this happen. A group doesn’t know what to talk about, so they pick a safe topic–something everyone despises. Then one person offers up a terrible experience. The next commiserates and adds his own “one up” on the terribleness. And so it goes. On and on and on.
I call this negative camaraderie. It’s a social trap I truly loathe. But an easy trap to fall into nonetheless.
Unpleasant and Unideal Circumstances
I’ve faced a lot of unpleasant circumstances in the last year. Things that caused grief, pain, fear and anxiety kept coming up. (But don’t they always, and isn’t this true for all of us?) Because of this I’ve spent months simmering on the difference between joy and happiness.
As many of you know I spent many years grappling with cyclical depression and anxiety. I finally allowed God to penetrate that stronghold in my life about five years ago. Since then, I’ve seen a miraculous shift in my life. It’s taken a lot of time to heal and practice living in a state of victory over anxiety and depression, but slowly–this has become a new, normal pattern for me.
Over the last year as obstacles and unwelcome news cropped up I keenly noticed a distinct separation between my happiness and joyfulness. And friends, let me assure you–I’m nothing special. If God can draw this line in my heart, He can draw it in yours too.
The Week I Discovered the Difference Between Happiness and Joy
One instance in particular makes this difference so clear.
If you follow along on Instagram (and you totally should, because then we can be even better friends) you might remember that horrific week I spent in Rapid City getting our AirBnB transitioned to a long-term rental. (If you missed it, you can watch the whole saga in my Instagram Highlights.) Alone with an 18 month old, over the course of the week I was met with a mouse infestation, a huge waste leak in the basement, yellow jackets living in the walls, snakes under the deck, issues with the moving van, and a horrible smell that turned out to be poop stuck in a plunger.
Day after day a new, unpleasant circumstance arose. But every day my heart was calm, unshaken, capable, still fully focused on Christ and able to tell of His goodness. I saw humor in the circumstances and understood on a new level exactly what Proverbs 31:25 can mean about “laughing at the future.” No fear of what terrible situation (or smell) the next day would reveal–only the ability to have joy and peace. Because my joy is no longer harnessed to my happiness.
Let me attest. There is a difference between happiness and joy. In today’s unpleasant circumstances it’s more important than ever to claim victory and claim joy.
The Difference Between Happiness and Joy in the Bible
The Bible tells us that joy is a natural product of a life lived in the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Too often, I talk to fellow believers who tell me they are struggling to feel joyful. It’s not happening naturally. Are they doing something wrong in their spiritual walk?
There may be lots of things clogging up our joy tube. For a long time, mine was stuffed with lies. (Read about my journey with lies here.) But part of the problem may have to do with our etymology–they way we understand words.
I think we (we means me, too) too easily interchange the words happy and joy in our thinking and speech. We shouldn’t exchange these words lightly, because there is a difference between the two. Let’s take a look at what the Bible has to say.
The Bible has a lot to say about joy. The word “joy” is translated 182 times throughout Scripture. Meanwhile, the word “happy” only shows up 15 times. I believe that Scripture is God-breathed and therefore, each and every word is important and intentional. Since “joy” in used so many times, we can surmise that joy is important to God and He has a lot to tell us about it.
While the Bible doesn’t have a specific verse that explains the difference between happiness and joy, reading the verses where these words appear teaches us to differentiate between the two.
1. The Biggest Difference is Circumstance
The key difference between happiness and joy that I discovered is the circumstances in which each word is used. Happiness is usually used to describe a circumstance, or correlates to an event that has yielded positive results.
Greek and Hebrew words used in Scripture translated into our English “happy” are closely tied to circumstances as well. Their definitions encompass meanings like pleasant, agreeable, prosperous, benefit, blessedness, to make glad, to be glad, pleasing, and fortunate. (You can find out more by using the interlinear on these verses.)
So the LORD God appointed aplant and it grew up over Jonah to be a shade over his head to deliver him from his discomfort. And Jonah was extremely happy about the plant.
Jonah 4:6
Joy is God (Spirit) Generated
While happiness is an emotion that can be evoked by good fortune, joy is generated through a much more reliable means: God Himself.
You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound. In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.
Psalm 4:7-8
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Gal 5:22-23
Unlike happiness, which rests on a shifting surface of circumstance, joy rests on God. When we trust God’s promises and hope, we can experience His joy in all circumstances. When joy from God is our goal, we can stand in peace and contentment, even during the days that bring tears to our eyes. If happiness is our goal, our bodies and minds will wear out from pursuing something that doesn’t last.
Joy Is Not Restricted to Pleasant Circumstances
While “joy” can be used in happy, pleasant circumstances, its meaning is richer. Typically, if it has to do with an event, it’s an event recognizably brought about by God.
However, in times of unhappiness, joy is still present. This is especially clear in the letters from Paul. Paul often wrote while enduring hardship, or to groups who were facing hardship themselves. Yet his letters are full of verses regarding joy.
A Christian’s ability to experience joy, even amidst a trial is one of our greatest tools of evangelism and pointing the world to God’s goodness and truth.
Great is my confidence in you; great is my boasting on your behalf. I am filled with comfort; I am overflowing with joy in all our affliction.
2 Cor 7:4
Joy Has an Overflowing Quality
In the Bible words translated to our English word “joy” have meaning that indicate an overflowing quality: to sound a glad alarm, to sing praise, rejoice, exultation, extreme gladness. The type of inner happiness that can’t be held in.
Scripture is full of verses about “shouting for joy,” “singing for joy,” “making a joyful noise.” While happiness can be soaked up quickly, joy exudes and pours out.
Sing for joy to God our strength; Shout joyfully to the God of Jacob.
Psalm 81:1
Claim Joy
There are other differences (and similarities for that matter) between joy and happiness. But this is a start. My point is this, let’s not make happiness our goal. When we hold that goal up to our very big God–who has saved us, redeemed us, defends us and is going to set all things right again–happiness seems like a small goal. God is not going to guarantee our happiness right now.
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33
Instead He assures us that we can overcome unhappiness with our joy and peace intact. He supplies and resupplies joy for us. Isn’t that a better goal, and a bigger miracle, anyway?
Dig in for yourself. Here are the uses of happy in Scripture and here are the uses of joy. What can you learn? How can you be cultivating a heart of joy, instead of a heart longing for happiness?
Welcome to the last post in the godly goals series–it’s all about what it mans to work for the Lord. I’ve had such a sweet time digging into what the Bible has to say about goals and working toward them. In case you’ve missed a post–I’ve linked them all here:
The previous posts will explain the premise of this series. Today we’ll just dive in. The last “goal-y” word we are going to examine is “Labor/Work.” When we think about goal setting it’s hard not to think about work. These words will help us see what it looks like to work for the Lord.
Ergon
Ergon: business, employment, that which any one is occupied
We’ll start our discussion of doing work for the Lord with a straightforward word. Ergon directly correlates to our modern understanding of “job.” When it comes to goals–our career ambitions (keep last week’s discussion of ambition in mind) tend to be near the top of the list. This is especially true when I speak with young adults leaving high school, or in the throws of deciding “what to do” with their life.
While I cannot give tell you what type of career you should pursue. I can point you to Scripture. Throughout the Bible, God tells us what His will looks like and what He wants us to focus on. He doesn’t tell us specifically to be a nurse or a designer, but He does tell us to love Him, cultivate peace, love each other and tell others about the Salvation Jesus offers. If you are running after godly goals, you are pursing God’s work–no matter what your 9-5 might be.
In addition to describing jobs/tasks, Ergon can also mean deeds that we work at and “works” of art. This word is used well over 100 times throughout the New Testament. For this study, we are looking specifically at how ergon is used to describe jobs/tasks. (If you are interested in its other uses, follow this link to see the concordance page with all of its uses.)
The Work of the Lord
Many of the verses below reference “the work of the Lord.” This primarily refers to the work God has for all believers. There are many references to this type of work that can give us specifics–but Jesus summed it up with the Great Commission.
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
Matthew 28:19-20
Our godly goals should ultimately align with Jesus’ commission to us. No matter what we are working at, everything should point back to Jesus, the Christ, our Savior. As you work for the Lord your day-to-day work may look different than mine. Together as members of the “body of Christ” we are all working toward this common goal.
Ergon in Scripture
Now that we’ve got an understanding of the word, let’s see how ergon is used in the Bible and what it teaches us about our duty to work for the Lord. The word translated from “ergon” is in bold in the verses.
God is glorified when we complete the tasks He gives us. Some God-given works are able to be completed. (Be sure to understand this verse in context as the speaker is Jesus Himself. See the full chapter here.)
I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do.
Godly work can be collaborative. When carrying out godly goals and work, we should us discretion about partnerships.
Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work.
We should be all-in when pursuing godly work. When we work at godly goals, our labor is not in vain.
Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
Kopiaō occurs in the New Testament 28 times. Whereas ergon refers to something more akin to employment or a job, kopiaō speaks of the effort and toll working can take on us.
Kopiaō describes the utter fatigue labor can bring onto us. It’s usually used in the realm of physical exhaustion–being spent after an outpouring of effort.
Kopiaō is something I relate to every day as I drag myself out of bed and work on our remodel while also being a stay-at-home-mom to a toddler. I get it. You probably do too. The work of our daily lives is exhausting. God understands. Let’s see what Scripture can teach us about this kind of labor. The word translated from kopiao is in bold.
God knows work is tiresome. He understands our limits. And most of all He knows that labor of all kinds (whether after godly goals or worldly goals) leaves us exhausted. When understanding labor, it’s vital to believe Jesus offers us true rest.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
This kind of effort should be used to supply our own needs and those who cannot work in this manner themselves.
I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”
One goal of our work is to supply for our needs and share the excess of our labor with others.
Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.
Energeō: to be operative, be at work, put forth power
Does the word energeō look familiar? It shares a root with our modern, English word for energy. It’s a no-brainer that pursuing godly goals will require us to put forth energy. However, when I looked in to the words I’d be covering for today’s final post in this series–I was surprised to see who is putting forth energy in Scripture.
Unlike ergon (a job) and kopiaō (tiresome effort), energeō is typically reserved to describe the work of God or another un-mortal force. God cannot grow weary–therefore kopiaō will never describe him. Let’s look at a couple verses to remind ourselves that pursuing godly goals is not a lonely walk. God is alongside us, pouring out effort in the things that truly matter most.
God is at work in our gifts.
[After a discussion on spiritual giftings.]…There are different kinds of working [literally activity/effort], but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Thanks for joining me and please tell me your thoughts on this series–or shoot me ideas of other topics you’d like to see here on the blog. What are you godly goals? I’m praying that you are fining lots of joy as you align your personal goals with God’s heart.
First, a quick recap. In short, I’m a goal-oriented person who is historically bad at goal setting. I’ve placed by value in the hands of my goals and spent many New Year’s “goal seasons” burnt out, feeling like a failure. Last year I ditched traditional goal-setting to simply focus on grace. Both, God’s grace toward me, and learning to extend more grace toward myself and others.
This year I wanted to explore what the Bible has to say about goals and working toward them. I made a list of “goal-ish” words and studied what Scripture has to say about each one. This was a personal study, but I came away with too many notes and geekery not to share. The words on my list were: Goal, Strive, Ambition, Aim, Intend, and Labor. Today we’ll look at “Ambition”. Next week will be our last post in the series.
Ambition
I love it when my Bible geeking surprises me. When I looked into the word ambition I was surprised by what I found. The Bible makes it clear what a godly goal looks like, that we should be moving forward in faith, growing to maturity in Christ and setting Christ centered goals. However, when I looked at what the Bible says about ambition I found more warning than offensive instruction.
The heart of this series is meant to help us (me) align our goals more closely with God’s heart. The old cliche is very true, life IS short. Our days on this side of eternity are a gift–we need to steward them well. I don’t know about you, but I want to spend my days working at things that matter. I’ve spend too many Januaries setting goals that worked me to the bone, but didn’t matter at all. Let’s leave that pattern for good.
A good first step is examining ambition, both what the dictionary and the Bible says about ambition.
The English definition of “ambition.”
am·bi·tion | amˈbiSH(ə)n
an earnest desire for some type of achievement or distinction, as power, honor, fame, or wealth, and the willingness to strive for its attainment
a strong desire to do or to achieve something, typically requiring determination and hard work.
desire and determination to achieve success.
Ambition is Heart Oriented
Can you see that ambition is a little more heart-oriented than a goal? A goal/aim is passive. It’s an object. An ambition is desire. Ambition is personal, often dependent on our own labor.
In every translation of Scripture, “ambition” is usually used in tandem with “selfish.” As in, “selfish ambition.” (Some translations do use the word “ambition” in place of goal, ie 1 Thes 4:1q and Rom 15:20–both discussed in this post.)
Because I truly do believe that Scripture is God-breathed, I believe all the words in the Bible are placed with meaning.
So why does the Bible typically speak of ambition in terms of selfishness? Let’s see what we can learn.
What the Bible Says About Ambition
The word most commonly translated into occurrences of the English word “ambition” is actually a Greek word denoting selfish-ambition.
eritheia: a desire to put one’s self forward; self-seeking pursuit of political office by unfair means
Eritheia has a political background. Outside of the Bible it was used to describe unfair power grabs and seeking to place oneself in a high-ranking position. Keep this and the definition in mind as you read the following verses that use eritheia in them.
For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition (eritheia), slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder.
Do nothing out of selfish ambition (eritheia) or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. Everyone should look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.
I don’t want you to walk away from this post discouraged, or thinking that ambition is negative. Ambition is not negative. Remember, there are verses that translate “philotimeomai” (to strive, goal, aspire) into “ambition.”
Instead, as we examine our goals–the things we are striving toward and setting our eyes upon–we must intentionally ward off eritheia, selfish ambition. What do can learn about selfish ambition from the verses above? Here is my list from my study notes. By all means, this is not everything we can learn from these passages, nor are these the only right answers. (And remember to read the verses in context.)
Paul had godly goals for the church in Corinth–selfish ambition is among the things that could derail those goals. (See examples of godly goals here and here.) (2 Cor 12:20)
Selfish ambition is companion to other undesirable/selfish qualities. (2 Cor 12:20)
We should not pursue our godly goals from a heart posture of selfish ambition. (Phil 2:3)
Humility and genuine interest/care/concern for others is the opposite and antidote of selfish ambition. (Phil 2:3)
Selfish ambition breeds disorder and other bad, hurtful practices. (Jas 3:16)
Guarding Against Selfish Ambition
As we seek to create godly goals, we must guard against selfish ambition. As we’ve learned so far in this series, godly goals are not self seeking. They are peace-driven, church-edifying, God-glorifying. If our goals are truly aligned with God’s heart and what His Word tells us to strive for, we will not operate out of selfish ambition.
It’s also important to remember the character of God when considering our goals. God is all-knowing, all-powerful. He knows us fully and loves us fully. God’s primary concern is not our accomplishments, it’s our heart. (1 Sam 16:7) The God of the Bible will never berate you for not being enough.
Here is the truth. You are perfectly enough when you take your not-enoughness and let Christ complete you with His grace.
Friends, the amount of water you drink, money you make, miles you log at the gym–they are all inconsequential when compared to your heart posture. If your heart is out of alignment, you can do all the things, loose the weight, get the job, etc, etc, etc and still feel like it’s not enough. If your ambition is selfish, there will always be a gnawing emptiness in your belly.
God sees and cares about our heart.
One of my favorite verses is Psalm 37:4.
“Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart.”
Can you see that this is a self-fulfilling prophecy? When the Lord is our delight our heart’s deepest ambitions/desires will be met. If our goals are godly and in line with what the Bible tells us is worth setting our eyes on and striving toward, He will be our desire. And God never withholds Himself from those who seek Him.
Your Challenge
Your challenge this week is to prayerfully assess your goals. Check back in. What are you working toward? How are you striving? Why are those the things you’ve chosen to focus on? What is your heart posture? What is your motive? If you uncover selfish ambition (I’ve uncovered more than my fair share in my own heart), ask God to help you realign that goal with His heart.
Next week we’ll wrap up the series by looking at “labor.” Thanks for stopping in. Join me on Facebook or Instagram for more fun. I’d love to get to know you!
What says “strive” more than rugged hiking images?
Today’s post contains Part III of a series on godly goal setting. In this post, I’m focusing on the word “strive.” We’ll continue looking at what Christ centered goals look like and how to pursue them. Together, we’ll continue to learn what Scripture has to say about goals and what we should be working toward. This series is not meant to set goals for you–only to help us all closer align our ambitions with Jesus.
If you missed the earlier posts you can find them at the links below.
As I explain in Part I–I began this study as a way to personally explore Christ centered goals for my own life. I made a list of “goal-y” words and researched how they are used in the Bible. It was a long process of cross referencing and using interlinear resources. The information I discovered was too sweet not to share. So here we are.
Strive
Today we’ll be looking at the word “strive.” When I made a list of goal-related words I wanted to look into, strive was second on my list (only after the word “goal.) When I think about goal setting, the word “work” doesn’t come to my mind as readily as “strive.”
Examining Scripture makes it clear: Striving has a richer meaning than simply “working.” It’s physical, mental, emotional. Striving is seeking with the intention to find. To strive is to pursue something with the cunning of a hunter intent on prey. Striving is athletic, relational and intercessional.
The Bible has a lot to say about what is worthy of such effort. To get to the things that are really worth pursuing, we need a striver’s mindset.
While doing my word studies I found five Greek words (I focused on the New Testament) the correlate to our English word “strive.” There may be more, but this is a good sampling. Some of these words translate directly to the English word, “strive.” Others use “strive” as a descriptor in their definition, or as a synonym. I’ll go through each and reiterate conclusions at the end. Sound good? Let’s get started.
To Earnestly Endeavor
Diōkō
Diōkō: to seek after eagerly, earnestly endeavor to acquire; to run swiftly in order to catch a person or thing, to run after
Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive (diōkō) to do what is good for each other and for everyone else. 1 Thessalonians 5:15
Diōkō is a word much like our English interpretation of “pursue.” Most often in Scripture, we see it translated in a negative way, to mean “persecute.” But in 1 Thess and elsewhere it’s used in the context of striving.
Overall, this word shows us how to pursue Christ centered goals. We must work eagerly and expectantly. As one pursuing something with the goal of capturing it. But how exactly do we strive? What should we strive for? Let’s look at other uses of the word. As you read these verses, keep the definition in mind. Replace the word in the sentence with “strive” or “eagerly pursue.”
Follow(diōkō) the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy. (1 Cor 14:1)
I press on(diōkō) toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Phil 3:14)
But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue(diōkō) righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. (1 Tim 6:11)
Make every effort(diōkō) to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. (Heb 12:14)
They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue(diōkō) it. (1 Peter 3:11)
So I strive(askeō) always to keep my conscience clear before God and man.Acts 24:16
Askeō indicates trying. Something we are working toward. In some translations of this verse it says, “So I do my best…” Working toward a clear conscience before God and others is a godly, Christ centered goal.
To Seek After
Zēteō
Zēteō: to seek after, seek for, aim at, strive after
This word is most often translated to “seek.” However, when thinking about how we are to strive after Christ centered goals, it’s important to read the “striving” into the “seeking.” This is not aimless looking around, hoping to stumble onto the right path. Zēteō means we are putting our energy and efforts into our seeking.
Don’t strive (zēteō) for what you should eat and what you should drink, and don’t be anxious.Luke 12:29
Zēteō is used more than 100 times throughout the New Testament. Here are a few other verses that shed light on how we can apply zēteō to striving after Christ centered goals. Remember to read the verse with this enriched definition in mind.
But seek(zēteō) first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. (Matt 6:33)
By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek(zēteō) not to please myself but him who sent me. (Jn 5:30)
Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God—even as I try to please everyone in every way. For I am not seeking(zēteō) my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved. (1 Cor 10:32-33)
It [love] does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking(zēteō), it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. (1 Cor 13:5)
So also you — since you are zealous for spiritual gifts,seek(zēteō) to excel in building up the church. (1 Cor 14:12)
Striving Together
Synagōnizomai
Synagōnizomai: to strive together with one, to help one in striving
Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, through our Lord Jesus Christ and through the love of the Spirit, to strive (synagōnizomai) together with me in fervent prayers to God on my behalf.Romans 15:30
Synagōnizomai specifically speaks of striving together. Godly goals do not all need to be accomplished independently. When looking at the things God calls us to strive toward, it’s important to also recognize He doesn’t call us to do it alone.
Strenuous Zeal
Agōnizomai
Agōnizomai: to endeavour with strenuous zeal, strive: to obtain something
For this reason we labor and strive(agōnizomai), because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe. 1 Timothy 4:10
Agōnizomai has athletic connotations. It’s often used to describe a fight, contending, or a contest. It’s interesting to apply this type of striving toward godly goals. Here are a couple other verses that use this word for “strive.” Keep in mind the physical, strenuous definition of the word used here.
We proclaim him, warning and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ. I labor for this, striving(agōnizomai) with his strength that works powerfully in me. (Col 1:28-29)
Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, sends you greetings. He is always wrestling(agōnizomai) for you in his prayers, so that you can stand mature and fully assured in everything God wills. (Col 4:12)
Striving for Christ Centered Goals: Application Examples
Here are things I jotted down in my study notes about striving toward godly goals–and the things worth striving. I encourage you to make your own list.
Doing what’s right is a godly goal. (1 Th 5:15)
I should strive to do good for others (1 Th 5:15)
Christ centered striving is intentional and requires effort. (Phil 3:14
Righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness are godly goals. (1 Tim 6:11)
I should pursue to cultivate those attributes in my life. (1 Tim 6:11)
Living in peace is a godly goal. I should strive for peace. (Hb 12:14, 1 Pe 3:11)
Godly goals pursue love (multiple verses)
Peace with others is worth striving for (multiple verses)
Repentance and confession is a godly goal. (Acts 24:16)
A clear conscience is worth striving toward. (Acts 24:16)
Material things are not a godly goal; this is not what I should be striving for. (Luke 12:29)
God’s kingdom is something to seek/strive toward. (Matt 6:33)
Do not strive to please myself, but God; pleasing God is a godly goal–worth striving toward. (John 5:30)
Godly goals seek the good of others and are not self-serving. (1 Cor 10:33)
Love is a godly goal; it is not selfish (1 Cor 13:5)
Building up the Church is a godly goal. (1 Cor 14:12)
We are called to strive together. (Rom 15:30)
I can strive in prayer, alongside others. (Rom 15:30)
My hope in Jesus gives me the strength to strive forward toward godly goals, even when it is laborious. (1 Tim 4:10, Col 1:29)
Helping one another to maturity in Christ is a godly goal. (Col 1:29)
I can strive toward godly goals in prayer. (Col 4:12)
Final Thoughts
One of my over arching observations about striving–in the context of godly goals is that it is often cooperative and relational. We are called to strive alongside others. We are called to strive for the good of others–not toward our own happiness or material desires. In some ways that is convicting. In other ways, it’s freeing to understand that the goals God wants me to set my eyes upon are simple. He’s not commanding me to build a company, remodel my house, work out, or even drink more water. He is calling us to strive toward love, peace, prayer, repentance.
Consider the goals you may have set for yourself with the onset of the New Year. Do they align with the godly goals we looked at last week, or what we’ve learned about striving this week?
**Always take caution when thinking about goals. God does want us striving toward maturity in faith and a heart aligned with His. However, our Salvation, justification before God and sanctification are not reliant on goal setting. Those things were all accomplished for us by Jesus on the cross. All we have to do to obtain those things is to rest in His grace.**
This post is part of a series on godly goals. Together we’ll be exploring what the Bible has to say about goals and the things we work toward. Here are other posts in this series:
Last week I told you a bit about my struggles with goal setting. In the past I’ve been guilty of setting the wrong kind of goals and putting too much stock in my goals to uphold and define my identity. Today, we’ll continue our discussion on setting godly goals. I spent a lot of time searching and discovering what the Bible has to say about setting godly goals. Now, I’m excited to start sharing what I found.
In true Bible geek fashion, I spent a full week pouring over texts to discover all I could about setting godly goals. I started with a quickly brainstormed list of “goaly” words–goal, strive, aim, ambition, intend and labor. At the conclusion, I was left with lots of insight, better goals, peace in my heart and a lengthy outline of Hebrew and Greek words along with their various uses.
Exploring Godly Goals as a Series
I didn’t set out to publish what I learned. However, the things I found are things I wish I would have known years ago. If you have ever felt burned out, burdened or devalued because you can’t live up to the goals you set for yourself–this series is for you. First, be sure to put goals in their proper place (see part I), then step into the peace-making, joy-breeding space of godly goals.
First, be sure to put goals in their proper place (see part I), then step into the peace-making, joy-breeding space of godly goals.
To be totally honest with you (something you can always count on me to do), once I decided to write a series on goals, I intended to share all my findings in one long post. But after writing and rewriting several times it was clear we are meant to take this one slow. I’ll be sharing what I learned about each word that I studied over the coming weeks. Today, we’ll look at what I discovered about the word “Goal.”
At first, I was apprehensive about splitting this into a longer series. There is so much pressure to assess and create goals at the beginning of the year–cementing them in place by January 30. Then we turn on auto pilot. We pursue the goals we set for ourselves or let them go to the wayside. It can seem that our only two options are to achieve what we desired on January 1st, or beat ourselves up for being a failure. (Those are the options I’ve yo-yo-ed between in the past.)
Commit to Realigning Your Goals Regularly
Any life coach or “goal expert” (of which I am not) will tell you that a goal is more likely to be reached if you continue to revisit it. Friends, godly goals are worth pursuing. They are worthy of cultivation.
Let’s start this year by making our goals, but continue over the next weeks to reassess. Join me in discovering more about the kind of goals God has for you. Week by week examine the things you are striving for and use what we’ll learn together to realign them fully with our wonderful God.
What is a Goal?
Before we start, let’s grab a definition for the word “goal” to make sure we are all on the same page.
Running a quick Google search on “goal setting” will yield lots of tips. Most of these are on creating an action plan that will move you from where you are at this very moment to the desired “end toward which your effort is directed.”
In last week’s post I told you that I’ve spent many years setting the wrong kind of goals and that my goals lacked grace. On top of that, I bound my ability to complete goals to my identity and self-worth. Last January I took a new, more graceful approach to goal-setting. At year’s end for the first time in many years I was at peace, even joyful. Content with where I’d been and ready to step forward.
This year, I want to keep my goal-setting on this healthy trajectory. I want to understand what Scripture says about goals. In my study I discovered two Greek words that are used in Scripture for the English word “goal” as we typically use it. Philotimeomai and skopos. Let’s look at verses that use these words and apply them to our goal setting.
Skopos: the distant mark looked at, the goal or end one has in view
But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal (skopos) to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
And in fact, you do love all of God’s family throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more,and to make it your ambition (philotimeomai) to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you,so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.
Now that we’ve seen how these words are used, it’s time to apply them. Remember, we want to be doers of the Word, not just hearers. (James 1:22-25) Let’s take a look at what we can learn about goals by examining these verses. (I’ve quoted singular verses here, but remember to always read the Bible within its intended context.)
Here are application examples straight from my notebook. This is not an exhaustive list. How can you apply skopos and philotimeomai to your goal setting?
Godly goals look forward and do not dwell on the past. (Phil 3:14)
Aiming to live a quiet (literally peaceful, intentional–not running “hither and tither”) life is a godly goal. (1 Thess 4:11)
Working toward a quiet life, doesn’t mean an unproductive life. Paul tells his readers to be productive, by working with their hands. (1 Thess 4:11)
The godly goal of a quiet (again, literally peaceful, intentional) life will yield respect and independence. (1 Thess 4:12)
Spreading the Gospel is a godly goal. (Rom 15:20)
Thanks for being here and learning with me. Take some time this week to pray about godly goals. I’ll be back next week to discuss the word “strive.” Together we’ll discover what the Bible has to say about working toward a goal–how to strive and what is worthy of striving toward.
As we come into the New Year, I know lots of us are thinking about goal setting. Some may already be frustrated by goals that already don’t seem to be panning out. Today, I’m talking about Christian goal setting. I’m sharing what I’ve learned from years of setting the wrong kinds of goals and how I recovered from the hurt of unmet goals and failures.
This post is the first in a series. Here are others you might like:
You know I am committed to being transparent and authentic here. So I won’t sugar coat this next confession: I am a bad goal setter. I know how to set goals. In my mind I have plenty of head-knowledge about setting appropriate goals and taking the right steps to work toward them. I’ve written about goals and offered council to others about goals.
But at the end of the day, I rarely take my own advice. Thus, I–Amy Allender–am a very bad goal setter.
I set the wrong goals for myself. My approach to the goals is wrought with missteps. Then at the end of the calendar year, when it’s time for assessment, I feel defeated, deflated, devalued and plenty of other “de” words. I have spent many years looking back in reflection and the thought that overshadows all the sweet memories and accomplishments is that “I’ve failed.”
All along I thought I was pursuing Christian goal setting, because I was a Christian…setting goals. But I was mistaken.
There have been many New Year’s seasons in which I’ve dreamed up what I wished and hoped the next New Year would look like–only to be disappointed when the ideal in my mind doesn’t match the reality. This isn’t always my fault. Many things get in the way: moves, jobs, unexpected loss, new opportunities, separation, stress, illness, etc. But that doesn’t change the fact that I’ve spent many a January feeling another year older, believing I’ve failed because the December 31 me didn’t look the way the January 1 me had envisioned.
Giving Goals Too Much Impact
Last year I pretty much ditched resolutions and New Year goal setting all together. Instead, I focused only on grace. Something that had been missing from my New Year assessment for many years. I spent January trying out a few new patterns and habits–like a test-drive month. I kept a few, I threw the rest aside. And I committed to being graceful to myself as my ideals, goals and ideas shifted, changed, were completed or abandoned.
What I learned is that without trying or being conscious of it, I was allowing my goals (met or unmet) to impact the amount of value I perceived myself to have. My goals didn’t have all the power–but they had some. The truth is, our goals (met or unmet) have nothing to do with our value. Every person is made in God’s image and therefore is invaluable. Only God can supply a safe and sturdy surface for my identity and value to lay upon. Anything else is too fragile and too prone to sink holes.
Exploring Godly Goals
I’ve learned that true Christian goal setting (setting godly goals) looks much different that simply setting secular goals.
After spending all of 2019 focusing on being graceful toward myself when it comes to goals and “success,” I ended the year joyful and content.
This year I want to keep moving in this positive trajectory. After a year off of traditional goal setting I started to wonder what God has to say about goals. How did key Biblical figures work toward goals? Did they have goals? What kind of goals should I be setting? Should I set goals at all?
In short, “What does Christian goal setting look like?”
I’ve spent the beginning of the new year looking deeply into what the Bible has to say about Christian goal setting and godly goals. In true Bible-geek form, I could barely put my Bible down when it was time to stop. I made notes, cross referenced, dug through the concordance and hit the thesaurus. I discovered that the Bible has a lot to say about goals. I’ll be sharing all my findings on that next week in a follow up post.
Christian Goal Setting: Put Goals in Their Proper Place
Before we can appreciate what Scripture says about godly goal setting, we need to put goals into their proper place.
Remember how I told you I used to struggle with feeling like an old failure on December 31? For me, that was a sure sign that I was giving goals more stock in my identity and value than they deserved. Before you set goals or intentions, make sure these truths truly manifest in your heart.
Goals are works.
Goals are works. Our works can accompany our faith. They can be an outward sign of our faith, but works are a separate entity from Salvation or justification before God. Christ saves us from the true death we all deserve. Christ alone justifies us as worthy and right before God. (There are many verses pertaining to this–below is just one example.)
…know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.
Every single person who has ever been born or ever will be born is made in God’s image. “Made in God’s image” is part of our identity. Our intention should not be to look like Sally-who-lives-next-door (another mortal also made in God’s image)–but to look more like Christ, our Savior.
Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
If you understand that misdeeds and imperfection separate you from the one and only, perfect God of all the universe and creation–and believe that Jesus (God’s son, fully man yet fully God) bridged that gap by atoning for those misdeeds to fully reconcile you back to God–you are “saved.” Saved from true death. Saved from a life lived apart from the God who made you. You are seen as fully right before God, fully adopted as His child. Just as earthly parents love their children (adopted or biological) God loves His children.
As adopted children, God gives us an identity. He offers us a name, a place to belong, a purpose, and an inheritance.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.
In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.
God knows us. There is nothing we can hide from Him. He created us and understands us in intimate ways we will never fully understand. God’s ideal for our lives is that we look more like him and less like the world. Scripture warns against working in selfish ambition. Godly goals will never be self serving. Before you set new goals, pray to align your heart with God. Ask Him to reveal any selfish motives behind your intentions.
But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
Next week I’ll be back with part II of this discussion, fully ready to show you all that I’ve learned about Christian goal setting and godly goals. Some of it just might surprise you. Until then, I’d love if you joined me over on Instagram. Thanks for being here!
Want more on godly goals? Check out the rest of the series!
Renew your zeal for the Bible with three days of exclusive devotionals! Interesting and relevant writings and reflection questions will remind you why the Word of God is so awesome. You'll learn a lot and you'll leave excited to know God more and grow deeper in your faith.
Your kick-start is on the way!
You've always dreamed of reading the Bible in chronological order. Now you can!
Getting my printable PDF plan is easy. It's not fancy, but it does fold easily into a bookmark, so you can keep it close by and easily see what's coming next. I hope you find it as useful as I do.
**Remember to check your PROMOTIONS FOLDER. Even if your confirmation comes to your normal inbox, the actual download may come to that pesky promotions folder instead!**
