People have their own goals in life, but what are the ones that God wants to bless? Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church said there are two questions people need to ask in order to get the right answer.
The first question, he wrote on his website, is: "Will my goal honor God?" The pastor explained that every goal that causes believers to trust in God more, depend on God more, love God and others more, will most likely get his seal of approval.
"Everything can be done to honor God. You can take out the garbage to honor God. You can wash dishes to honor God. You can study for a test to honor God. How? By doing it with the right motive: gratitude. You want your life to bring honor to God, so your goals should help you be the best you can be for God's glory," he explained.
The second question is: "Is my goal motivated by love?" If goals are motivated by greed, envy, revenge, guilt, fear or pride, Warren said God is not going to bless it. But if something is done out of love - love for God or love for neighbor - it will be blessed bountifully by God.
"Why is it important to have goals that are based on love? Because if you set loveless goals, you're going to treat people as projects. You're going to run all over them to get to your goal," he said. "You're going to run over your marriage, your friends, and other people as you climb up the ladder of success. God says, 'No. You've got it all wrong. It's not about accomplishments. It's about relationships. It's about learning how to love.'"
When people set out to accomplish their goals, Warren said that they need to let God's spirit empower them and they also need to religiously study His word. "The Bible is the owner's manual for life. The more you read it, study it, memorize it, and meditate on it, the more successful and fulfilled you're going to be in life," said Warren.
