What Goals Will God Bless

In 1 Corinthians 10:31 I read, “When you eat or drink or do anything else, always do it to honor God.” (CEV)

It’s important to set goals. But not every goal I set is a goal that God’s going to bless.

So, how do I know the difference? I can ask myself these questions:

Will my goal honor God? What kind of goal brings glory to God? Any goal that causes me to trust him more, to depend on him more, to love him more, to love other people more, to serve him, or to serve others.

The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 10:31, “When you eat or drink or do anything else, always do it to honor God” (CEV). Even everyday tasks can be done to honor God. I can honor God by taking out the trash. I can honor God by washing the dishes. I can honor God by doing that mundane task at work: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as though you were working for the Lord and not for people” (Colossians 3:23 GNB).

If I want my life to bring honor to God, then set goals that help me be the best I can be for God’s glory.

Are my goals motivated by love?

God is not going to bless a goal motivated by greed, envy, guilt, fear, or pride. But he does honor a goal that is motivated by a desire to demonstrate love to him and to others. Life is all about learning how to love.

Why is it important to have goals based on love? If I set loveless goals, I’m going to treat people as projects. I’ll run all over them to reach my goal, whether they’re a family member, friend, or coworker. God says, “No, you’ve got it all wrong. It’s not about accomplishments. It’s about relationships. It’s about learning how to love.”

The Bible says, “Do everything in love” (1 Corinthians 16:14 NIV). My number one goal in life should be to learn how to really love my family, neighbors, and even those who are hard to love. That makes me more like God, because God is love.

In summary, when I eat, drink or do anything else, always do it to honor God. It’s important to set goals. But not every goal I set is a goal that God’s going to bless. How do I know the difference? First, will my goal honor God? That is any goal that causes me to trust him more, to depend on him more, to love him more, to love other people more, to serve him, or to serve others. Even everyday tasks can be done to honor God. Whatever I do, work at it with all my heart, as though I was working for the Lord and not for people”. If I want my life to bring honor to God, then set goals that help me be the best I can be for God’s glory. Secondly, are my goals motivated by love? God is not going to bless a goal motivated by greed, envy, guilt, fear, or pride. But he will honor a goal that is motivated by a desire to demonstrate love to him and to others. Life is all about learning how to love. If I set loveless goals, I’m going to treat people as projects. I’ll run all over them to reach my goal, It’s not about accomplishments. It’s about relationships. It’s about learning how to love. My number one goal in life should be to learn how to really love. That makes me more like God, because God is love. 

My actions must be motivated by God's love so that all I do will be for his glory. Keep this a guiding principle in my life by asking, "Is this action glorifying God?" or "How can I honor God through this action?"