Argue less, trust more

I do not mean that I am already as God wants me to be. I have not yet reached that goal, but I continue trying to reach it and to make it mine. Christ wants me to do that, which is the reason he made me his. Brothers and sisters, I know that I have not yet reached that goal, but there is one thing I always do. Forgetting the past and straining toward what is ahead, I keep trying to reach the goal and get the prize for which God called me through Christ to the life above. All of us who are spiritually mature should think this way, too. And if there are things you do not agree with, God will make them clear to you. But we should continue following the truth we already have. (Philippians 3:12-16)

If any of us were what God wants us to be, we'd be perfect, and I haven't met one 'perfect' person yet! There have been some I'd say were 'pretty close to perfect', but nobody is perfect on this earth - especially apart from having Christ in their lives. Perfection is something people attempt to attain, through medical procedures, fad diets, self-help programs, and other mind-boggling weirdness. All we could 'do' doesn't really 'do' much for us, though. All we need to move toward 'perfection' is given to us in Christ Jesus.

We all have goals for our lives (at least I hope we do). Those goals may be partially material, such as a new car, while others are a bit more spiritual, such as wanting to stop using foul language because we know it doesn't honor God. Regardless of the goals, we are aiming toward something. What many of us forget is to bring our goals to God and allow him to clarify or 'purify' them so they are really worthwhile for us. That doesn't mean God doesn't want us to have a new car, it might just mean we need him to guide us to the one which would completely meet our needs for safety, be within our budget, and run for a long time without issues.

None of us is what God wants us to be quite yet, but we must continue to reach toward that goal. This could mean we need to do a periodic 'check-in' with God to ensure we are remaining 'on task' with what he desires to see produced within our lives. Have you ever disagreed with God about the path he is asking you to take? I have and I have struggled with obedience on more than one occasion. I had my own goals and dreams, not really wanting to be going toward the ones he had for me. I wasn't all that 'happy' or 'content' with where I was heading, though. God has a way of disturbing our present so he can drastically improve our future, doesn't he?

When we finally get 'on task' with what goals he has in mind for each of us, what a difference it makes as it relates to being 'at peace' and operating 'in peace' as we pursue those goals. Maybe this is a good indication of when we are 'on task' - this peace. Sometimes we don't follow the goals because we don't know where they will be taking us, but if we remain steadfast in what he asks, we might just find we argue a little less, trust a bit more, enjoying the journey with a whole lot less angst. Just sayin!