home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
Shareware Overload Trio 2
/
Shareware Overload Trio Volume 2 (Chestnut CD-ROM).ISO
/
dir32
/
alphon_5.zip
/
8302
/
8302_A.EXE
/
FAITH.009
< prev
next >
Wrap
Text File
|
1992-10-03
|
6KB
|
138 lines
FAITH PRINCIPLES - No. 9
SETTING A FAITH GOAL
Faith is not a feeling and cannot operate in a vague or general
way. It must have a goal or it will not be effective.
1. FAITH MUST BE SPECIFIC
The following scriptures establish that faith must be clear in
its expectations. Heb. 11:1 - "Faith is the substance of
THINGS hoped for". Mark 11:
24 - "What THINGS soever you desire Ps. 37:4 - "He shall give
you the DESIRES of your heart". James 4:2 - "You have not
because you ASK not". Prov. 29:18 - "Without a VISION the
people perish". Hab. 2:2 - "Write the vision and make it
PLAIN".
A camera has to be correctly focused if the right results are
to be achieved on the film, and in a corresponding way our
faith needs to be clearly focused on the goal to be achieved.
The desires for and details of the thing being reached out for
should be crystal clear.
2. THE LONG RANGE GOAL
Every life needs to have an eventual goal - an overall vision
or purpose. Without this sort of benchmark we tend to have a
zigzag path through life and end up merely reacting to the
various crises rather than operating out of a definite plan
for our life.
God gave Abraham a vision of his land hundreds of years before
his descendants actually possessed it. Gen. 13:15. This long
range vision became the motivating factor which brought Israel
out of Egypt.
Long range goals help us to be definitive and selective. We
are able to tell quickly if certain ideas or projects will fit
into the overall plan of our life. This is not, however, easy
to define if no such plan exists.
3. SHORT TERM STEPS
While long range goals are essential to set the ultimate
direction of our life, they are too remote for us to work
with. It is necessary to break them down to a series of short
term stages to achieve the overall plan or vision. This is
also true of any major faith project which may take an
extended time to complete. It is also far easier to aim for
the achievement of smaller steps than to be confronted with
huge challenges. Long range goals also tend to be so
futuristic and visionary that they become somewhat remote.
Once it is broken down into smaller stages each of these needs
to be:
a) Realistic - Some people live in an area of fantasy.
Their ideals are not only vague, but tend to be
unrealistic. For example, a church may have a desire for
growth based on the fanciful idea that every other church
in town will close down and come and join them, or to
solve their financial problems they may be praying and
believing for $1,000,000 to be given to them from some
unexpected source.
Our faith goals need to be based on a certain realism,
though not one generated by human ideas. our goals must
be born in God, but to check out that we are on course,
establish if the goal is fanciful, idealistic or wishful
thinking.
b) Achievable - Not only must faith have a vision of its
future, but it must have a plan to bring it to pass. The
short term steps to achieve the long range goal should
now be broken down in specific areas of activity that you
can accomplish with God's help. For example, the long
range goal may be to have a congregation of 1000 people.
Your short-term goal may be to win 100 people to the Lord
this year. That short-term faith goal is not achievable
as it is. It needs to divided again - 2 people per week
is an achievable goal and in achieving the tiny steps the
goal is realised.
c) measurable - In order to effectively maintain a faith
goal it is essential to be able to monitor your progress
continually, ie six months have now passed, what do our
records show has happened. Are we on target to achieve
the 1 year goal or have we slipped behind. if so, what is
the reason? Measuring the goal generally means that there
will be time set for its completion. While time is God's
prerogative, He often requires us to express our faith
within the limits of a set-time frame.
4. GOALS MUST COME FROM GOD
During the study on Faith Principles we have emphasised
the danger and futility of presumption. We cannot pluck
goals out of the air, or arbitrarily decide them by a
process of logic or human reasoning. They must come from
God if they are to be faith goals.
John 15:7 says we can ask what we will if we abide in the
Lord and His "rhema" abides in us". His word in us is
achievable but it will most often be far above man-made
goals. Is. 55:8-11. When we have His word abiding in
us, we will set goals according to the will of God and
these are realistic, achievable and measurable. 1 Joh.
5:14-15.
5. SEEING IT DONE
Our faith goals need to be constantly kept before us so
that they can be clearly and continually focused. The
plan of Jacob to increase his flocks by placing rods
before their eyes as they conceived resulted in the
flocks bringing forth what they saw. Gen. 30: 37-43.
This is true of those who have a clear faith goal and
keepit constantly before them. our visualising of the
desire of our heart fulfilled is the key to transferring
it from the invisible realm to the visible- Heb. 11:3.
It is too easy for our faith goal to fade and we need to
discipline ourselves by various means to keep it always
before us.
Reach out in faith to believe God for more.
William Carey said, "Expect great things from God. Attempt great
things for God".
Some people settle for the ordinary when they could have the
extra-ordinary.
A man's capacity is generally determined by his goals.
Those without goals are often used by those who do have them.