11 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.
We all need a worthy goal to pursue. I know some people with unworthy goals and some people with no apparent goals. I want to be a person who pursues goals that are worth my life, a life that has been delivered from emptiness and futility. Not any life will do. I want to aim high; I want my life to count for eternity. I know that can sound crazy to some people. I am only one of over six billion people currently inhabiting this universe. Can one person really make a difference? We just watched the movie Amazing Grace again the other night. William Wilberforce made a difference; so can I. The slave trade was ended in the British Empire because of his single-minded focus that followed the call of God on his life. He pursued his goal for years, years of frustration and defeat. He used all the tools at his disposal in pursuit of God’s call. His political career only served to accomplish his God-given goal. Do you have any God-given, God-driven goals in your life, goals that are so big that it takes God to accomplish them? Are you willing to let God give you this kind of goal, one so big that you won’t be able to let it go until it is accomplished? Well, guess what, he already has given you this kind of goal, so big you can’t accomplish it. That goal is to pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. This goal of living a godly life is a God-sized goal. You can’t accomplish it. You need outside resources, God’s grace, to get it done. It will take years to reach, and it will consume your whole life. It is one of those goals that will affect every other area of your life. There is no escaping its implications. It touches your time, your talents, your family, your work, your leisure activities, your finances, your love life, every area. Living as God wants you to live is no small matter. Are you willing to engage in that struggle today? Get started living the life Jesus intends for you, a life so big it will be worthy of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection, a life worth living.
The Arnold Journey 