We’re six months into 2022, halfway through the year — which means by now we should have checked off half the goals which we charted out at the beginning of the year. You know, written half the book. Run half the marathons. Lost half the weight. Cleaned out half our drawers and closets. Saved half the money.

Except, I’m guessing that there was this little thing called life that got in the way.

 If your year has been anything like mine, it has slipped by in a blur of busy days.

Unexpected (and unwanted) things happened. Goals and resolutions got shelved.

There were blessings, but there was also heartache and sickness and closed doors and detours and… you know… the daily grind that kicked our dreams in the derriere

As we make it to the mid-point of 2022, I’m not going to ask you to hustle and knock your goals out by the end of the year. Sure, that may be just the motivation you need, but I’m not going to go “King Richard” on you and give you any tips and tricks to super-size your productivity. There are enough goals-setting gurus to help you through those.

What I am going to do is to invite you—no, I take that back—I’m going to urge you to keep looking up.

Here’s the thing: If we look at the challenges of the next six months, we’re likely to be overwhelmed. If we focus on our own abilities and skills, we’re likely to give in to pride. If we keep our eyes on our goals alone, we’re likely to succumb to pressure. If we focus on the “what ifs” and “how will I’s,” we’re likely to be paralyzed by fear.

Instead, friends, for the second part of this year, may we make it our daily goal to look to Jesus. Instead of a checklist of progress on our goals, maybe we need a spiritual check-in with the Lord.

For the last several years, we’ve been hearing a lot about setting SMART goals—an acronym for goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. I’m not advocating that we shred those SMART goals entirely but can we also make room in our lives for WISE ones?

Here are a few suggestions for “goal-setting” for the rest of the year:

Wisdom-driven: May the fear of the Lord—the absolute reverence and awe and wonder of God—which the Bible describes as “the beginning of wisdom” direct our thoughts and actions. May we not be a people coerced by the fear of man which tends to cripple and confine us but a people compelled by the fear of the Lord which brings freedom and fullness.

Inconspicuous: In a world driven by results that need to be prominent and in-your-face and touted on social media, may we live fruitful lives away from the glare of the spotlight. When you know your worth in Christ, you don’t need to prove your worth to the world.

Spirit-led: Here’s what culture prescribes for us—create your goals and then chase after them. But as believers, we’re not compelled by our goal-setting agendas but led by the Spirit of Christ who lives in us. We don’t make our plans and then simply ask the Lord for His stamp of approval. Instead, we lean on Him and walk in obedience along paths that He has lovingly laid out for us.

Eternally-directed: While the results of our actions may not be measurable by the world’s standards, they have eternal significance as we live for God’s glory and not our own. Our goals don’t always have to be time-bound because we’re people who live with an eternal perspective.

As we look to the next six months, may we know that God has already gone before us. May we abide in Him. May we fix our eyes on Him. While SMART goals may be great, may we also be radically WISE.

 

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