As we enter another year, many of us are thinking about our personal resolutions. Whether it’s eating healthier, exercising more, or developing better habits, setting goals for growth is always beneficial.
While the world often focuses on external improvements and growth, it’s important to remember Paul’s words to Timothy about exercise. “For while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” (1 Timothy 4:8).
Paul wasn’t discouraging physical exercise but reminding us that our purpose transcends the fading world and the temporary nature of the flesh. “Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.” (2 Corinthians 4:16).
This new year is an opportunity to be intentional with setting our minds on things above, growing closer to God, and aligning our lives with His will.
First Thing’s First
It’s easy to fall into the trap of pursuing spiritual growth as a means of self-improvement, personal gain, or achievement. This mindset turns us inward as we rely on our own abilities rather than God’s all-sufficient grace.
The truth is we cannot grow spiritually on our own. However, when our motives shift toward knowing God’s heart more deeply, spiritual growth becomes a natural result of an intimate friendship with Him.
As we begin to change spiritually, external things will follow. Matthew 6:33 commands us to “seek first the kingdom of God as His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.”
Evaluate the Past Year
Before moving into the future, take time to evaluate your spiritual journey over the last year.
Rather than focusing on failures, take time to pray about the lessons you learned from those mistakes. Take note of how you could have done things differently.
Reach out to a close friend or mentor to share an outside perspective on your spiritual growth over the last year. Ask them questions about where they think your strengths and weaknesses are.
How to Set Meaningful Spiritual Goals
Start with Prayer
So you’ve taken notes on wins and losses during the last year. Do you notice a theme? Take time to pray and ask God for wisdom on what to focus on moving forward.
Be Specific
S.M.A.R.T. Goals are a great way to create a disciplined approach to start seeing change. Using the Word of God and wise counsel, pray about how to make specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timely goals.
We all need to do things like grow in our faith and love others better, but these are hard to measure. By starting with specific, measurable goals, the Fruit of the Spirit will grow naturally as a result.
Specific goals that will produce greater fruit include daily prayer, studying specific books of the Bible, and engaging in community outreach.
If you notice a specific area you’d like to grow in, you can target that more specifically. For example, if you want to overcome fear, studying the life of Moses, Gideon, and Esther will help to renew your mindset.
Set Measurable Goals
Give your goals a measurable time limit to keep you on track. For example, if you’re going to read through the whole New Testament, how long are you going to give yourself to do this? 6 months, a year?
How much time will you spend in prayer every day? Will it be in the morning or evening? Having a schedule can help keep you motivated. Make your time limit challenging but not unattainable.
Focus on Heart Change
The goal isn’t just to check the boxes but to experience internal transformation. You can measure your growth by studying the Fruit of the Spirit regularly and examining those fruits in your own life.
1 Corinthians 13 is another chapter to use as a mirror to test areas of internal improvement. You can also ask a friend or mentor to read these scriptures with you and give you honest feedback.
More Examples of Practical Spiritual Goals
For more inspiration, here are a few examples of healthy and practical goals to deepen your spiritual life.
- Memorize one Scripture passage per week.
- Read through the Bible in a year.
- Take one online theology course per month.
- Volunteer for a church ministry or community outreach program.
- Read one theological book per quarter.
- Practice intentional Sabbath rest weekly.
At BMATS, we believe that true growth comes from seeking God’s heart, allowing His grace to transform you, and walking faithfully in the purpose He has for your life. If you’re looking for ways to grow in your walk with God, we offer affordable ways to study God’s word and become equipped with tools to help fulfill your calling.
From our Disciple-Making Certificate to our free online seminary classes, there are plenty of ways to explore all that our program has to offer. If you are led to further your Biblical education, contact us to get more information about our programs.