What are your goals in life? What do you hope to accomplish? Attain? Accumulate? Where would you like to be five years from today? Ten years? Twenty? How do you see your future self? How do you plan to get from your present self to your future self? What will you have to do to see that future self becomes reality?

As children, we probably didn’t give much thought to the future. Each new day was a day of adventure, games, friends, fun: but it was just another day. We enjoyed each day individually, without any concern for tomorrow, or next week, or next month. Life was just a succession of days, not necessarily connected in any meaningful way.

But, as we grew older, our minds began to turn a little more to what lies ahead. Still not a matter of focus, or any serious thought, but we did begin to look beyond today. As we moved into higher grades of public education, we began to realize the importance of planning ahead. Still not necessarily looking ahead, but simply planning ahead. We started having project assignments that were due on a certain date, so we planned ahead, developing a strategy to meet the deadline.

However, at some point in time, each of us began to do more than plan ahead: we actually began to look ahead. What will I do after graduating high school? College? Graduate school? Post grad? Or, do I even want to further my education beyond high school? If so, which college will I attend? We begin to research colleges and universities that will best serve us in reaching our goals. Career goals. Family goals. Financial goals. Retirement goals. Living life for the moment becomes a little less important, and planning for the future becomes crucial.

So, right now, at this stage of your life journey, what are your goals for the future? Over the years, I have done pre-marital counseling for many prospective couples planning their marriage. I have always felt that one of the most important aspects of this type of counseling is to get the couple to look beyond the infatuation of the moment. I have given an assignment that forces them to look to the future, far beyond the “we’ll live by our love for one another” feelings of sentimentality. I ask them to write down their goals, both individual as well as relationship goals, for their future. I ask for specifics: educational goals, career goals, family planning goals, financial goals, etc. at one year, five years, ten years, and twenty years.

It has become glaringly obvious that many, if not most, of the couples I have counseled have given little to no thought about matters pertaining to their future. Too many believe that their love for one another will be all they need to have a successful marriage.

I have truly been amazed at some of the responses I have received from their answering questions pertaining to their future. Many have no plans, no goals, having given no thought to these concerns. One of the most unbelievable episodes I have experienced in counseling was when I asked the question, “How many children do you hope to have?” They both answered at the exact same moment, but their answers were far from being exactly the same. She said, “Two,” and he said, “Five.” They turned immediately to face each other, and she said, “You have got to be kidding!” This was followed immediately with a heated argument in my presence, which ultimately resulted in further counseling sessions being cancelled, and the wedding being postponed.

That is a rather extreme example of how desperately we need to have well-defined goals for our lives as individuals, and as partners in relationships of all kinds.

So, the question is, how do we go about setting goals? Is there some sort of program that is a one-size-fits-all method of goal setting? It would certainly be nice if there was such a thing, but, as I’m sure you are already aware, there is not.

But, I can show you one way NOT to go about setting goals and making plans for your future. It is an overlooked passage in the Epistle of James. This passage contains words of wisdom that will guard us against the heartbreak and headache of misguided goals if we will but practice its simple teaching. James says:

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will travel to such and such a city and spend a year there and do business and make a profit.” Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring – what your life will be! For you are like vapor that appears for a little while, then vanishes.

James 4:13-16

To some, goal setting and decision making are based upon the mentality of those who operate by such a philosophy. They are looking for the next big investment, the next guaranteed financial activity, the next get-rich-quick scheme. It’s what we might refer to as the “fly by the seat of your pants” method of goal setting.

In this same epistle, James gives us another important word of instruction:

Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God – who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly – and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith without doubting. For the doubter is like the surging sea, driven and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord, being double-minded and unstable in all his ways.

James 1:5-8

These two passages from James’ pen give us important elements of effective goal-making. First, don’t make goals based on presumption. He warns us against making decisions based on presuming we know what the future holds. We’re going here; we’re doing that; we’re staying for this duration of time; we’re going to make a profit; we’re going to return. There are so many unknown variables in those statements. Now please understand, I don’t think James is telling us not to make plans. He is simply warning us about making plans based on presumption.

That leads us to the second important element of goal-making in this passage: Seek wisdom from God. We don’t know what tomorrow holds, but He holds tomorrow in the palm of His hand. He is unchangeable, immovable, unwavering, all-knowing, all-seeing, and all-powerful. His wisdom is what we need to give us guidance and direction as we look toward the future. Make sure that He is the foundation upon which we stand as we strive to set goals and make plans, realizing that, at any time, life can change or even end without a moment’s notice.

Allow me to conclude this blog with another quote from Scripture, this time from the Lord Jesus Himself:

Then He told them a parable: “A rich man’s land was very productive. He thought to himself, ‘What should I do, since I don’t have anywhere to store my crops? I will do this,’ he said. ‘I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones and store all my grain and my goods there. Then I’ll say to myself, “You have many goods stored up for many years. Take it easy; eat, drink, and enjoy yourself.”‘

But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is demanded of you. And the things you have prepared – whose will they be?

That’s how it is with the one who stores up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.

Luke 12:16-21

And that’s how it is with us. Goal setting is to be built upon the wisdom of God. Anything else is sheer presumption. His wisdom is the sure foundation upon which we should live day to day, and by which we should look to the future.