Philippians 3:7-14 7 Howbeit what things were gain to me, these have I counted loss for Christ. 8 Yea verily, and I count all things to be loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but refuse, that I may gain Christ, 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of mine own, `even' that which is of the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith: 10 that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming conformed unto his death; 11 if by any means I may attain unto the resurrection from the dead. 12 Not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect: but I press on, if so be that I may lay hold on that for which also I was laid hold on by Christ Jesus. 13 Brethren, I could not myself yet to have laid hold: but one thing `I do', forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before, 14 I press on toward the goal unto the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

What three goals would you set for your life if you knew that you could achieve them? Would any of them be spiritual in nature? The apostle Paul was a goal-oriented person (even before he became a Christian), and he understood which pursuits were the most important. His chief ambition was to know Christ and His resurrection power, along with the fellowship of His suffering (Phil. 3:10).

We’d all do well to adopt these goals, but they sound so broad. How do we put them into practice? First, it’s important to comprehend that a goal is a purpose or direction toward which we work. This concept is fairly easy to understand when we’re talking about specific objectives like going to bed earlier or washing dishes every day, but what steps would you need to take in order to achieve spiritual goals like Paul’s?

Success requires choosing steps that are specific, reasonable, and measurable. For example, if you want to know Christ more intimately, you might start by spending 15 minutes each day praying and reading His Word. After developing your plan and the steps to accomplish it, put your desire into action. If you don’t take the necessary steps, it will simply remain a wish. No one develops intimacy with Christ through good intentions; it takes commitment, diligence, and perseverance.

If you feel as if your faith is lacking vitality, it may be that you’ve lost sight of your goal. No one intends to slip into complacency. But unless you set some specific goals and work to achieve them, you’ll drift through life and miss the reward—knowing Christ intimately.

Bible in One Year: Job 22-25 Chapter 22 1 Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said, 2 Can a man be profitable unto God? Surely he that is wise is profitable unto himself. 3 Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? Or is it gain `to him', that thou makest thy ways perfect? 4 Is it for thy fear `of him' that he reproveth thee, That he entereth with thee into judgment? 5 Is not thy wickedness great? Neither is there any end to thine iniquities. 6 For thou hast taken pledges of thy brother for nought, And stripped the naked of their clothing. 7 Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, And thou hast withholden bread from the hungry. 8 But as for the mighty man, he had the earth; And the honorable man, he dwelt in it. 9 Thou hast sent widows away empty, And the arms of the fatherless have been broken. 10 Therefore snares are round about thee, And sudden fear troubleth thee, 11 Or darkness, so that thou canst not see, And abundance of waters cover thee. 12 Is not God in the height of heaven? And behold the height of the stars, how high they are! 13 And thou sayest, What doth God know? Can he judge through the thick darkness? 14 Thick clouds are a covering to him, so that he seeth not; And he walketh on the vault of heaven. 15 Wilt thou keep the old way Which wicked men have trodden? 16 Who were snatched away before their time, Whose foundation was poured out as a stream, 17 Who said unto God, Depart from us; And, What can the Almighty do for us? 18 Yet he filled their houses with good things: But the counsel of the wicked is far from me. 19 The righteous see it, and are glad; And the innocent laugh them to scorn, 20 `Saying', Surely they that did rise up against us are cut off, And the remnant of them the fire hath consumed. 21 Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: Thereby good shall come unto thee. 22 Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, And lay up his words in thy heart. 23 If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, If thou put away unrighteousness far from thy tents. 24 And lay thou `thy' treasure in the dust, And `the gold of' Ophir among the stones of the brooks; 25 And the Almighty will be thy treasure, And precious silver unto thee. 26 For then shalt thou delight thyself in the Almighty, And shalt lift up thy face unto God. 27 Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he will hear thee; And thou shalt pay thy vows. 28 Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee; And light shall shine upon thy ways. 29 When they cast `thee' down, thou shalt say, `There is' lifting up; And the humble person he will save. 30 He will deliver `even' him that is not innocent: Yea, he shall be delivered through the cleanness of thy hands. Chapter 23 1 Then Job answered and said, 2 Even to-day is my complaint rebellious: My stroke is heavier than my groaning. 3 Oh that I knew where I might find him! That I might come even to his seat! 4 I would set my cause in order before him, And fill my mouth with arguments. 5 I would know the words which he would answer me, And understand what he would say unto me. 6 Would he contend with me in the greatness of his power? Nay; but he would give heed unto me. 7 There the upright might reason with him; So should I be delivered for ever from my judge. 8 Behold, I go forward, but he is not `there'; And backward, but I cannot perceive him; 9 On the left hand, when he doth work, but I cannot behold him; He hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him. 10 But he knoweth the way that I take; When he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. 11 My foot hath held fast to his steps; His way have I kept, and turned not aside. 12 I have not gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have treasured up the words of his mouth more than my necessary food. 13 But he is in one `mind', and who can turn him? And what his soul desireth, even that he doeth. 14 For he performeth that which is appointed for me: And many such things are with him. 15 Therefore am I terrified at his presence; When I consider, I am afraid of him. 16 For God hath made my heart faint, And the Almighty hath terrified me; 17 Because I was not cut off before the darkness, Neither did he cover the thick darkness from my face. Chapter 24 1 Why are times not laid up by the Almighty? And why do not they that know him see his days? 2 There are that remove the landmarks; They violently take away flocks, and feed them. 3 They drive away the ass of the fatherless; They take the widow's ox for a pledge. 4 They turn the needy out of the way: The poor of the earth all hide themselves. 5 Behold, as wild asses in the desert They go forth to their work, seeking diligently for food; The wilderness `yieldeth' them bread for their children. 6 They cut their provender in the field; And they glean the vintage of the wicked. 7 They lie all night naked without clothing, And have no covering in the cold. 8 They are wet with the showers of the mountains, And embrace the rock for want of a shelter. 9 There are that pluck the fatherless from the breast, And take a pledge of the poor; 10 `So that' they go about naked without clothing, And being hungry they carry the sheaves. 11 They make oil within the walls of these men; They tread `their' winepresses, and suffer thirst. 12 From out of the populous city men groan, And the soul of the wounded crieth out: Yet God regardeth not the folly. 13 These are of them that rebel against the light; They know not the ways thereof, Nor abide in the paths thereof. 14 The murderer riseth with the light; He killeth the poor and needy; And in the night he is as a thief. 15 The eye also of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight, Saying, No eye shall see me: And he disguiseth his face. 16 In the dark they dig through houses: They shut themselves up in the day-time; They know not the light. 17 For the morning is to all of them as thick darkness; For they know the terrors of the thick darkness. 18 Swiftly they `pass away' upon the face of the waters; Their portion is cursed in the earth: They turn not into the way of the vineyards. 19 Drought and heat consume the snow waters: `So doth' Sheol `those that' have sinned. 20 The womb shall forget him; The worm shall feed sweetly on him; He shall be no more remembered; And unrighteousness shall be broken as a tree. 21 He devoureth the barren that beareth not, And doeth not good to the widow. 22 Yet `God' preserveth the mighty by his power: He riseth up that hath no assurance of life. 23 `God' giveth them to be in security, and they rest thereon; And his eyes are upon their ways. 24 They are exalted; yet a little while, and they are gone; Yea, they are brought low, they are taken out of the way as all others, And are cut off as the tops of the ears of grain. 25 And if it be not so now, who will prove me a liar, And make my speech nothing worth? Chapter 25 1 Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said, 2 Dominion and fear are with him; He maketh peace in his high places. 3 Is there any number of his armies? And upon whom doth not his light arise? 4 How then can man be just with God? Or how can he be clean that is born of a woman? 5 Behold, even the moon hath no brightness, And the stars are not pure in his sight: 6 How much less man, that is a worm! And the son of man, that is a worm!