“I run with purpose in every step.” (1 Corinthians 9:26a NLT) 

God’s purposes for your life aren’t just for here and now; they are forever and ever and ever. If you think this life is all there is, then you will set goals as if this life is all there is.

On the other hand, if you realize one day you are going to stand before God — when he’s going to ask, “What did you do while you were on Earth? Did you learn the things I put you there to learn? Did you trust my Son?” — then it will shape how you look at your goals.

Do your goals help you know God, grow in God, serve God, share God, love God, and tell others about God?

What I’m asking you is, for instance, how do you pray? When you pray, do you pray to get God to help you with your own purpose or do you pray to align yourself with God’s purpose? If you say, “God, I just want to do what you put me on Earth to do,” I guarantee you, God will bless everything you touch, because he is looking for people he can use to fulfill his purposes.

Godly goals have eternity in mind. Paul gives an example of this when he says, “I run with purpose in every step” (1 Corinthians 9:26a). Paul was a Purpose Driven runner! He refused to be distracted.

The Bible often compares life to a race, so I want you to think about this: In a race, the finish line is predetermined, and you make progress one step at a time.

The same is true with goals. You work on them one step at a time, and you work with purpose in every step.