Goals bring life into focus.
They give meaning and purpose to life.

The Bible says:

“For we must all appear afore the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may be recompensed for his deeds done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (2 Cor. 5:10).

In the long run, we will all see Jesus and give account of how we managed these bodies of ours. He has given us instructions for living, and we will be evaluated on the basis of them. We will do well to prepare for that day.

King Solomon, who tried everything under the sun, came to the following conclusion:
“The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. Because God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil” (Eccl.12:13-14).

We tend to get involved with people, activities, and things with a great surge of energy and pleasurable expectations. Anticipation fans our expectations. Our hope is that reaching an objective will result in great satisfaction and pleasure. Then, after several months or years of effort, we end up disillusioned.

Here are some goals that should satisfy, but don’t:

1.   Making money
2.   Acquiring things
3.   Building your own business
4.   Retiring with a good pension
5.   A trim figure
6.   Using talent and ability
7.   Marriage
8.   Parenthood

These are all good goals. Everyone must make a living and provide for his future. We all need to do what is necessary to maintain health and use our own talents and abilities. Who would quarrel with having marriage and a happy family life as a goal? Surely everyone who has worked until age sixty-five or seventy is entitled to an easy retirement.

However, if you know and keep the commandments, it means that in the process of making a living, making money, acquiring an estate, using your talent, staying fit, maintaining a marriage and a family, you do it all in a way that pleases Jesus, whom you love and who one day will evaluate you.

Everyone must live out life every day. How should we conduct ourselves in the process? Look at some Bible verses:

Not every one who says to Me, ”Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven (Matt. 7:21).

Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you (Matt. 6:33).

For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who in this way serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved of men (Rom. 14:17-18).

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:8).

The Creator of the universe is interested in what manner of person we are. He also wants us to entrust the people in our lives and the events of our lives into His hands. We can do everything possible to make things come out as we judge they should, knowing, however, that our thoughts are not His thoughts, neither are our ways His ways.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight (Prov. 3:5-6).

I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me (Phil. 4:11-13).

In God I have put my trust, I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me? (Ps. 56:11).

Cast your burden upon the LORD, and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken (Ps. 55:22).

Before the crisis comes, when all is peaceful, you can commit your ways and your loved ones into His hands. Because it is not a question of if some crisis will come. It’s a matter of when it will come. You must be ready.

Jesus once told his disciples: “Whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be serve, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:43-45).

The happy physician, dentist, counselor, lawyer, builder, banker, husband, wife, father, or mother is the one who gives himself completely to the task. There may be rewards or there may not be. There may be appreciation or there may not be. A servant doesn’t perform services for rewards or appreciation. He serves in Jesus’ name and for His sake. He gives because he is a servant.

Everyone must make a living, provide for the future, maintain health, use his talents and abilities, associate with family and friends. Doing these things causes a weariness of the flesh, unless you set proper goals.

1. Grow in your knowledge of the commandments.
2. Live righteously, peacefully, justly; love kindness; have a pure heart; take mistreatment patiently.
3. Trust God to guide you and trust Him to bring people and events into and out of your life.
4. Have the spirit of a servant; lose your life for Jesus’ sake and the gospel’s.

“To sum up, let all be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; not returning evil for evil, or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing” (1 Peter 3:8-9).

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This is an excerpt of chapter 9 from Dr. Brandt’s book I Want Happiness Now! currently available as an e-book.

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Paul follows up the principle of “Rejoice always” with “Pray without ceasing.” Give your days and situations to God, believing He is with you and trusting Him in every circumstance.

Paul then adds a third principle, “In everything give thanks.” In everything? Yes, because “this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

Reading these principles, you may be wondering, “Am I really expected to do all these things?” If you are seeking contentment, the answer is a resounding ”Yes!” Choosing to practice these principles will give you the peace you are looking for.

One example of finding peace and contentment through God’s principles can be found in the words of a man speaking at his wife’s funeral.

“I’m not hopeless,” he said. “I’ve got joy and peace in my heart. It comes from God and it’s available in a time like this. It’s found in Colossians 2, starting with verse six. ‘So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.’ (NIV).

The traditions of men say that in a time like this, you should be distraught, and upset. You should feel like the end of the world has come. You should be miserable. That’s the tradition of men. But, if you bear in mind the Word of God; it says rejoice all the time. Pray all the time. In everything give thanks. I’ve tapped that resource, and it can be yours too. How? By not worrying about the outcome of anything, but instead, putting your trust in God.”

What a testimony!

You can make a choice that you will live your life by God’s principles. You can rejoice all of the time, and pray all the time, and be filled with thanksgiving all of the time, if you remember to trust God and His Word during each day.

Read 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18; Colossians 2:6-8

Take a step . . .
Memorize 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 or Colossians 2:6-8. Apply the principles of the passage you memorize to every situation you encounter daily for the next week.

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This devotion is from Dr. Brandt’s message The Secret to Happiness.

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Many people are seeking relief from their desperately unhappy, frustrating, or hopeless condition. Frequently their situations cannot be reversed – whether it is unemployment, poverty, a broken marriage, relational conflicts, disability, or the death of a loved one.

It is true that we cannot prevent troublesome or sorrowful events from intruding into our lives. However we can live heartily, joyfully, and considerately one day at a time. But we must rely on the power of choice and the resources of God if we are to discover such happiness.

We tend to chase that golden pot at the end of the rainbow, that something in the future that will bring us contentment. Hopefully, some new experience, some new success, some new relationship or some new degree of cooperation from the people around us will provide the happiness we seek. But we all know people – perhaps our own children, parents, or close friends – who have spent many years in pursuit of education, wealth, power, significant relationships, or religious experience. Their goal was a fulfilled, contented, productive life. But they ended up depressed, bitter, frustrated, or empty, with broken friendships and marriages. They didn’t learn to be content in their circumstances.

The pivotal point leading to joy, peace, and an abundant life is to love the Lord with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind (Matthew 22:37). But this is a choice and commitment that must be renewed many times each day.

There will be many temptations along the way to draw you from your original commitment, but the Bible contains a reassuring promise: “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” (1 Corinthians 10:12, 13, NIV).

Are you choosing to look beyond your current trials so you can focus on God’s goodness and blessings? Are you choosing to be content with what God has already given you instead of insisting He fulfill still another desire? Are you choosing to trust God or your own limited understanding? Enduring happiness is really only possible if you live life God’s way.

Everyone, every day, faces a multitude of choices. Your sense of self-respect, of loving yourself, depends upon making those choices within the frameworks of God’s commandments and his plan for your life!

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Jim and Betty illustrate the futility of seeking contentment through financial success and accomplishments.

Jim is a big, strong, brilliant, talented man. His wife is an energetic, personable, competent lady.

Jim moved from extreme poverty as a child to reach a boyhood dream of owning his own business and becoming financially independent. He was a dreamer, an innovator, a pioneer. For fourteen years Jim poured his entire life into the challenge of developing a motor-driven recreational vehicle. A company agreed to produce it, and quickly this motor-home company was out producing and outselling all the competitors in the U.S.

The mind is the most private part of your inner life. No one can know for sure what you allow to enter into it, and no one can know what goes on in your mind unless you reveal it. The longer I work with people, the more convinced I become that everyone can and does control his mind. We make our own decisions, and no one can change them. Everyone has the power of choice.

It’s important to remember that we can’t always determine someone’s inner life based upon their words or behavior. The Bible puts it clearly:

For as he thinks within himself, so he is. He says to you, ”Eat and drink!” but his head is not with you(Prov. 23:7).

You are constantly exchanging ideas with partners, parents, relatives, friends, teachers, preachers, and others. We are all familiar with the flood of ideas coming at us from the radio, TV, newspapers, books, magazines, pamphlets, movies, billboards, and advertisements.

What will you do with this mass of information that bids for your attention? Remember, it’s your attention. It’s your mind. There is no avoiding your responsibility.

You need a standard to go by. The Bible says:

”My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord (Isa. 55:8).

Since our thoughts are not His thoughts, nor our ways His ways, we need to make a conscious, deliberate effort to know Him. We must fill our head with God’s commandments in order to think straight–to develop a basis for keeping acceptable ideas and filtering out the unacceptable ones.

Kind David, a man after God’s own heart, said of God’s laws:

The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether. They are more desirable than gold, yes than much fine gold (Ps. 19:7-10).

If you cry for discernment, lift your voice for understanding: lf you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; then you will discern the fear of the Lord, and discover the knowledge of God (Prov. 2:3-5).

This is no simple path to follow. The management of your mind is a daily task. It involves continuous study, and no one can do it for you. Every day of your life, you are called upon to make decisions, and you must respond to decisions other people make that affect you. Some decisions facing you are how to respond to tragedy, death, or some event beyond your control.

This whole area of decision-making is a common subject in the consulting room. Most of my clients who bring up this subject are anxious about a decision to be made or are disturbed and angry over the outcome of a decision or event that has already occurred, whether my client participated in it or was only affected by it.

Following are some Bible verses that have proven useful in managing the mental activity involved in decision-making:

Delight yourself in the LORD; and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit doorway to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He will do it. And He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your judgment as the noonday. Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him; fret not yourself because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who carries out wicked schemes (Ps. 37:4-7).

Commit your works to the LORD, and your plans will be established (Prov. 16:3).

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose (Rom. 8:28).

The emphasis in these verses is notion the outcome of the decisions, but on the attitude of the decision maker:

• Delight yourself in the Lord.
• Commit your way to the Lord.
• Trust in Him.
• Rest in the Lord.
• Wait patiently for Him.
• Fret not yourself.
• God causes all things to work together for good for those who love Him.

There will be happy times, crisis times, even tragic times. Let me emphasize that these verses stress the attitude of the decision maker rather than evaluation of the immediate outcome of a decision or an event. It takes months or even years to see how all things work together.

The Bible verses in this chapter have been assembled with an emphasis on the management of your mind. You can choose what will linger there. You can have a depraved mind–or a wholesome mind. If you seek to please God with the use of your mind, you will be able to describe yourself as did the prophet Jeremiah:

Take to heart some classic advice from the apostle Paul on the management of your mind:

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things (Phil. 4:6-8).

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This is an excerpt of chapter 8 from Dr. Brandt’s book I Want Happiness Now!