In the context of the Bible, the concept of a "goal" can be understood as an objective or purpose that aligns with God's will and the teachings of Scripture. The Bible provides numerous examples and teachings that illustrate the importance of setting and pursuing goals that honor God and reflect His divine plan for humanity.

Biblical Examples of Goals

1. Spiritual Maturity: One of the primary goals for believers is to grow in spiritual maturity, becoming more like Christ. The Apostle Paul emphasizes this in his letter to the Philippians: "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me" (Philippians 3:12). Paul’s pursuit of spiritual growth serves as a model for Christians to strive towards holiness and deeper relationship with God.

2. The Great Commission: Jesus Christ gave His disciples a clear goal in the Great Commission, instructing them to spread the Gospel and make disciples of all nations. Matthew 28:19-20 records Jesus' words: "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." This mission remains a central goal for the Church and individual believers.

3. Pursuit of Righteousness: The Bible encourages believers to pursue righteousness as a goal. In 1 Timothy 6:11 , Paul advises Timothy, "But you, O man of God, flee from these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness." This pursuit involves living a life that reflects God's character and commands.

Principles for Setting Godly Goals

1. Alignment with God's Will: Goals should be aligned with God's will as revealed in Scripture. Proverbs 16:3 advises, "Commit your works to the LORD, and your plans will be achieved." This underscores the importance of seeking God's guidance and approval in setting goals.

2. Faith and Trust in God: Setting and pursuing goals requires faith and trust in God's provision and timing. Hebrews 11:6 states, "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who approaches Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him." Faith is essential in pursuing goals that honor God.

3. Perseverance and Endurance: The Bible encourages perseverance in the pursuit of goals, especially when faced with challenges. James 1:4 says, "Allow perseverance to finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." Endurance is necessary to achieve goals that require long-term commitment and effort.

Eternal Perspective

The ultimate goal for believers is to attain eternal life with God. This eternal perspective shapes all other goals and priorities. Paul writes in Philippians 3:14 , "I press on toward the goal to win the prize of God’s heavenly calling in Christ Jesus." This heavenly calling motivates Christians to live with eternity in mind, influencing their earthly goals and actions.

In summary, the Bible provides a framework for understanding and setting goals that are rooted in spiritual growth, obedience to God's commands, and the advancement of His kingdom. Believers are encouraged to pursue goals that reflect their faith and commitment to God's purposes, trusting in His guidance and strength.1. (n.) The mark set to bound a race, and to or around which the contestants run, or from which they start to return to it again; the place at which a race or a journey is to end.

2. (n.) The final purpose or aim; the end to which a design tends, or which a person aims to reach or attain.

3. (n.) A base, station, or bound used in various games; in football, a line between two posts across which the ball must pass in order to score; also, the act of kicking the ball over the line between the goal posts.

4649. skopos -- a watchman, a mark (on which to fix the eye)
... a mark (on which to fix the eye). Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine Transliteration:
skopos Phonetic Spelling: (skop-os') Short Definition: a goal Definition: a ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4649.htm - 7k

5056. telos -- an end, a toll
... word Definition an end, a toll NASB Word Usage continually* (1), custom (2), customs
(1), end (24), ends (2), finished (1), fulfillment (1), goal (1), outcome ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5056.htm - 7k

393. anatello -- to cause to rise, to rise
... 393 (from 303 , ", completing a " and , "set out a goal") -- properly,
a necessary ; (figuratively) to a goal (reach its ). Word ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/393.htm - 7k

5046. teleios -- having reached its end, ie complete, by ext. ...
... Cognate: 5046 (an adjective, derived from 5056 , "consummated goal") -- (consummated)
from going through the necessary stages to reach the -, ie into a ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5046.htm - 8k

603. apokaradokia -- strained expectancy
... This intense expectation fosters to see Jesus -- portrayed as an Olympic
runner straining forward to the end-goal with "" (Ro 8:19)! ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/603.htm - 8k

3640. oligopistos -- little faith
... Him. In contrast, the goal of life is to receive (obey) the Lord's gift
of faith in each scene of life (Ro 14:23; Heb 11:6). [3640 ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3640.htm - 7k

5610. hora -- a time or period, an hour
... 5610 -- properly, an ; (figuratively) a "season"; time or opportunity to reach a
goal (fulfill a purpose); a time-period; a limited period to accomplish the ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5610.htm - 7k

2240. heko -- to have come, be present
... am present, have arrived. 2240 (a primitive verb) -- properly, to reach
the (goal). Word Origin a prim. verb Definition to have ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2240.htm - 7k

3852. paraggelia -- an instruction, a command
... See 3853 (). 1 Tim 1:5: "But the goal of our (3852 ) is love from a pure
heart and a good conscience and a sincere (4102 )" (). ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3852.htm - 7k

5143. trecho -- to run
... an athlete with (see 1 Cor 9:24). 5143 ) ("running ") conveys desire to
get to the goal . 5143 () was used of "runners in a race ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5143.htm - 8k

1604. goal -- a loathing
... 1603, 1604. goal. 1605 . a loathing. Transliteration: goal Phonetic Spelling:
(go'-al) Short Definition: abhorred. ... 1603, 1604. goal. 1605 . Strong's Numbers
/hebrew/1604.htm - 6k

7093. qets -- end
... from qatsats Definition end NASB Word Usage after (3), after* (1), course* (1),
end (52), endless* (1), farthest (2), farthest border (1), goal (1), highest ...
/hebrew/7093.htm - 6k

5331. netsach -- eminence, enduring, everlastingness, perpetuity
... Or netsach {nay'-tsakh}; from natsach; properly, a goal, ie The bright object at
a distance travelled towards; hence (figuratively), splendor, or (subjectively ...
/hebrew/5331.htm - 6k

The Goal of Progress
... EPHESIANS THE GOAL OF PROGRESS. ... All which He is and has is to be poured into His
servants, and when all this is communicated to them the goal will be reached. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture ephesians peter/the goal of progress.htm

The Glory of the Goal, --Face to Face
... The Glory Of The Goal,"Face to Face. "With You Always.". Have you ever seen
Christ? No, I don ... sweet experience. The Final Goal. This ...
/.../gordon/quiet talks on following the christ/the glory of the goalface.htm

The Sun Has Reached his Western Goal,
... MORNING The sun has reached his western goal,. tr., John Brownlie 8.8.8.8. I. The
sun has reached his western goal,. And night winds hush the world to rest; ...
/.../brownlie/hymns of the apostolic church/the sun has reached his.htm

The Sun Has Reached his Western Goal,
... EVENING II The sun has reached his western goal,. 8,8,8,8. The sun has reached
his western goal,. And night-winds hush the world to rest; ...
/.../brownlie/hymns of the russian church/ii the sun has reached.htm

Of the Question of Abbot Moses, who Asked what was the Goal and ...
... I. First Conference of Abbot Moses. Chapter II. Of the question of Abbot Moses,
who asked what was the goal and what the end of the monk. ...
/.../cassian/the works of john cassian /chapter ii of the question.htm

Of Abbot Moses' Question on the Aforesaid Statement.
... But what should be our (immediate) goal or mark, by constantly sticking close
to which we can gain our end, you ought first to know. ...
/.../cassian/the works of john cassian /chapter iv of abbot moses.htm

Evil, Then Consists Essentially in the Choice of what is Lower in ...
... For just as if a charioteer [111] , having mounted his chariot on the race-course,
were to pay no attention to the goal, toward which he should be driving, but ...
/.../select works and letters or athanasius/section 5 evil then consists.htm

Love and Peace.
... 1. THE GOAL. The context of the prayer is noteworthy. The Apostle had been asking
for their prayers, more particularly for deliverance from evil men. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/thomas/the prayers of st paul/iv love and peace.htm

Concerning Things Performed Over those Fallen Asleep.
... to the unfailing promises of the Godhead (inasmuch as they have observed their proof,
in the resurrection proclaimed by it), come to the goal of death, with ...
/.../dionysius/ecclesiastical hierarchy/caput vii i concerning things.htm

Going Forth
... The ultimate goal was clear, and the first step towards it was plain, but how that
first step was related to the goal was not plain, and all the steps between ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/going forth.htm

Goal (7 Occurrences)
... in football, a line between two posts across which the ball must pass in order to
score; also, the act of kicking the ball over the line between the goal posts ...
/g/goal.htm - 8k

Mark (182 Occurrences)
... according to its various Hebrew and Greek originals, a sign, "a target" an object
of assault, a brand or stigma cut or burnt in the flesh, a goal or end in view ...
/m/mark.htm - 93k

Providence (3 Occurrences)
... means etymologically "to foresee." The corresponding Greek word, pronoia, means
"forethought." Forethought and foresight imply a future end, a goal and a ...
/p/providence.htm - 44k

Thessalonians (6 Occurrences)
... Paul's amazing power to idealize his converts and see them in the light of their
good intentions and of the general goal and trend of their minds is quite ...
/t/thessalonians.htm - 46k

Unfeigned (5 Occurrences)
... 1 Timothy 1:5 but the goal of this command is love, out of a pure heart and a
good conscience and unfeigned faith; (WEB KJV ASV DBY WBS YLT). ...
/u/unfeigned.htm - 8k

Upward (74 Occurrences)
... Upward (74 Occurrences). Philippians 3:14 I press on toward the goal for the prize
of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (See NAS RSV). ...
/u/upward.htm - 32k

Overreach (1 Occurrence)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (vt) To reach too far; to defeat oneself by
setting a goal too high. 2. (vt) To deceive, or get the ...
/o/overreach.htm - 7k

Go'ah (1 Occurrence)
Go'ah. Goah, Go'ah. Goal . Multi-Version Concordance Go'ah (1 Occurrence).
Jeremiah ... Goah. (See RSV). Goah, Go'ah. Goal . Reference Bible.
/g/go'ah.htm - 6k

Whereas (55 Occurrences)
... (See NAS). 1 Timothy 1:5 but the goal of this command is love, out of a pure
heart and a good conscience and unfeigned faith; (See RSV). ...
/w/whereas.htm - 24k

Where (5276 Occurrences)
... 4. (adv.) To what or which place; hence, to what goal, result, or issue; whither; --
used interrogatively and relatively; as, where are you going? ...
/w/where.htm - 7k

Is it wrong for a Christian to have the goal of being rich and famous? | GotQuestions.org

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Goal: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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