Now you know where you are in life spiritually, financially and personally. In the preceding weeks, you completed step one of the planning process. You have “gotten in touch” with your spiritual condition, your financial condition, your alligators, and yourself. Only after this kind of reality check can you begin to think about the future. It’s only after you know where you are at the moment in your Christian life that you can see clearly where you want to be. The information you have just developed is extremely valuable.
Remembering now what your job is as the Lord’s slave/servant/steward, I want you to write down an answer to this question:
What in your wildest dreams would you like your financial circumstances to look like way out on the horizon of your life?
What would you like your spiritual condition to look like out there? What would you like your personal life to look like out there? I’m talkin waaaaaaaaaaaay out there. You know how far away the horizon is. It’s where everything comes together. This is paradise. Are you familiar with the term nirvana? It’s a very long term view or vision of your Christian life. Take some time to think about this. Meditate on it. Dream about it. Pray about it. Then, in as few words as possible, write it down. Your entire management team should be involved in this exercise because it is going to affect them. Get their input. Discuss it with them. Get everybody on board.
My mission statement/vision for the Christian life:
Spiritually: _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Financially: _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Personally: _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Post your mission/vision statement somewhere conspicuous, like on the frig. Or print it on a 3×5 card and stick it on the dash of your car. Keep it in front of you at all times.
NOW we are ready to set goals and objectives.
Next I want you to make a list of what has to happen between now (your starting point developed in step one) and then (the horizon of your Christian life) in order to accomplish your mission/vision. If you are anything like me this could be a pretty long list. You may have heard a sermon or two preached on this subject. What we are talking about here is the process of sanctification. You no doubt found those sermons to be intellectually interesting and maybe even challenging. However, you now have your own personal list of milestones that will be passed on the way to your very own sanctification. This is your list of goals and objectives. You will find that some of them can be accomplished in a few minutes. Some will take a little longer: weeks? months? years? Some people refer to these as short, intermediate and long term goals or objectives.
I’m leaving a little room at the bottom of the page for you to start on your list but you will no doubt find it necessary to carry it over onto another sheet of paper.
My goals and objectives for the Christian life:
1. ________________________________________________________________
2. ________________________________________________________________
3. ________________________________________________________________
4. ________________________________________________________________
5. ________________________________________________________________
6. ________________________________________________________________
7. ________________________________________________________________
8. ________________________________________________________________
9. ________________________________________________________________
10. ________________________________________________________________
11. ________________________________________________________________
12. ________________________________________________________________
13. _________________________________________________________________
14. _________________________________________________________________
15. _________________________________________________________________
16. _________________________________________________________________
17. _________________________________________________________________
18. _________________________________________________________________