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| JUDAS...the dangers of goal-setting |
As I was
reporting last time, I had the task of sharing my uninformed thoughts on
“setting and achieving your goals” with an audience of very informed men, many
of them versed in the intellectual thoughts on the subject, put together by
giants such as Mike Murdoch and John Maxwell.
t was at a
forum, Men’s Day-Out, put together by Men of Judah, a ministry to men led by
Evangelist Michael Gabriel who you might remember as Michael Elumeze (all
previous documents remain valid, please).
My
uninformed thought runs counter to the position of these intellectual giants and
I was fully persuaded that I ran the risk of disappointing the audience and may
be even annoy the organisers to the point of never getting future invitations.
As I stated
the last time, I wasn’t in total disagreement with most of what is
already out there on the subject (who am I to, anyway?). “You know them,” I
wrote. “They almost always come to these set of steps: Set
simple and achievable goals; Set a timeframe; Count the cost; Strategize and
plan; Take action and; Do a periodic review of your progress”.
I went on to ask a few basic questions: “What
is a goal? What does it mean to set a goal? How do you go about the task of
setting a goal? Having set your goal, how do you go about achieving it?”
I also
attempted some answers. Using definitions from Dictionary.com as my point of
reference, I said as follows:
“To set a goal is to determine that simple,
achievable and believable result you want to achieve, your aim etc. How to go
about setting that goal; that is how to identify that particular simple,
achievable and believable target is not often easily explained. It is, in many
cases a matter of preference, an attraction or even a whim. This in my opinion
is where the problem begins. But I’ll come back to it.
How to go about achieving that simple,
achievable and believable result or target or aim or destination has been more
copiously addressed: “Set a timeframe; Count the cost; Strategize and plan; Take
action and; Do a periodic review of your progress.” The “hows” of many of these
steps in the process have also been variously proffered by various experts. I
do not intend to go into the efficacy of those recommendations here. It should
suffice to say the success or otherwise of each depends on other variables. It
is, as the economist would say, a case of other things being equal.”
In my
reportage, I came to that point where I was about to look at what you might
describe as the goal-setter’s favourite scripture and had to timeout, or rather
was “spaced-out”
That scripture is found in Luke
14:27- 33, and it reads: “And
whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and
counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient
to finish it? Lest haply, after
he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it
begin to mock him, Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.
Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first,
and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh
against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is yet a great way
off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace. So likewise,
whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my
disciple.”
To be sure, those words of the Lord
Jesus Christ can be described as clear and prescriptive, and also lend credence
to the need for determining your goal and convince yourself that you have what
it takes to get there. But let’s dig a bit deeper.
First, it must be remembered
that some of the Lord’s illustrations were not necessarilyintended to be prescriptive, as in “go thou and do likewise.” His
illustrations come from practices his listeners are familiar with. For
instance, he didn’t mean that we should learn to cheat on our bosses when he
told the story of the smart steward in Luke 16: 1-8. So we should be careful not
to turn this to a commandment.
To
get the core of the message, it is necessary to pay attention to verses 27 and
33: And whosoever doth not bear his
cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple…So likewise, whosoever he be of
you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple”
A
deeper look at the real import of that scripture points us in the direction of what matters –
the Cross or, more clearly, our assignment, our life’s goal – discipleship!
Yes, discipleship is the main message, not counting of costs. For if it were,
where would be the place of faith, of the miraculous etc.
Space
will not permit me to go much further in this reportage, but it should suffice
that I pointed out that if you are a child
of God, your goals are already set for you, broadly, at least. It was set in the above scripture; the
how was also set. The goal is discipleship, the how to is forsake all, remove
self.
If
you are a man, your goal was set for you in Genesis 2 - mind the store; be
God’s vice regent on earth. All the goals you can set, and, which are worth
setting are spiritual goals: how to read the word and be in tune with God the
Holy Spirit, to reveal to you your daily baby-steps in the direction of God’s
goals for you. Anything else is an exercise in self-delusion, in futility.
Finally,
I told my now silent, probably unimpressed, audience that goal setting is a
risky business. Ask Judas, the Lord’s treasurer. Most people think his downfall
came because he was greedy. If he were, how come he sold his master out that
cheaply, a few silver coins. No! He, like many people of his day wanted
liberation from Roman colonialism. Jesus was seen as that revolutionary. But
then he began to say that His kingdom was not of the world! Judas’ goal was
freedom, not salvation. Where did it lead him? Be careful, brothers.
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