When one enters an airport there must be a destination in the immediate future. This destination must be known to oneself and then made known to others. One can not buy a ticket without first having thought of this destination and then verbally committing it to others. The same is true for any manner of travel conveyance.
This is all true with our personal life. We start off with a big plan. We ask our children or our grandchildren what they want to be when they grow up. Right now we have a grandchild that wants to be either a police officer or a fireman. He also wants to come live with us! As he grows older, if this is still his plans, he will have to educate himself through schools so that these plans will come to fruition. He starts out with the big picture and then it will have to be more specific.
Our plans need to verbalize and even written down. We can see where we want to go. Then plans will be made to get there. Obstacles will be in our way and become evident as we begin our travel. We can do several things then. We can stop and let this stop us from ever taking our journey. We can go over, under, or around and let this obstacle make us stronger for our continued journey. We might even be able to make a detour. There maybe, while taking this detour, shade along the way that can either stop us, slow us down, or even change our goal. Age may affect our goals.
There may be other factors that help determine our goal. Our age, or the age of the goal, may make a difference. One would not have as a goal to be a professional football player who is 55 years old. A television repair man is a thing of the past. One might want to change that into a computer repair person. Things change and our goal or goals may need to change.
The wise man Solomon said, “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he” (Proverbs 29:18). Spiritually we need to have goals. If we do not have goals how do we know when we have arrived? Paul had a goal, “Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:8). What is your spiritual goal?
If there is no vision the people will perish. So what is the goal of the church? Some have mentioned having elders. This is a most noble goal! The Lord desire that the church have elders. He has given us qualification for these men and He has listed the work that they are to do. Is this a goal of the many or of the few? Do we have men who desire this goal? Do we have men who not only desire this goal, but are willing to work to make it succeed? Do we have men who are preparing themselves for this work of the church? We have preacher training schools. We have colleges in which we can train preachers; but where is the training for the elders? Men who will know the work and then work at the work? Someone might even say it is the School of hard knocks but that is a rough school in which to learn. Ask anyone who has been to this school. Many in this school quit before all the lessons are learned; it is just too hard of a school.
What are the goals for the church? As this year has unfolded, how many are concerned about the direction of the church or the lack of direction? How many are willing to make their choices known? And how many are willing to work to make those goals come to fruition? Where is the vision? How can we have a vision if no one cares?
Love, Keith
