Philippians 3:14 (ESV) I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Here is a thought that might have escaped many of us. Paul is pressing on towards a goal.

My parents never instilled in me goal setting, at least not directly. Instruction was more about performance, technique, and repetition. Goal setting is different. With goals you have the opportunity to measure performance. Goals need to be set with two things in mind, achievable and stretching. If you set a goal to low, you will not stretch yourself, effort needs to lead to improvement. They need to be achievable to keep from being frustrated.

I never learned that until I was well into my growth in Christ. Things were way too easy for me and I had no measure of growth in Christ. Others could see it, but I did not. I found myself wanting promotions which never came because I did not set nor achieve the goals required for those promotions.

Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

I did not receive the proper training, in life or in the church. My parents were responsible for life training, but who was responsible for church training?

Galatians 6:2-6 Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For every man shall bear his own burden. Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.