You Can Reach Your Spiritual Goals

1. What struggle have many of us faced?

HAVE you ever set a spiritual goal but struggled to achieve it?b If so, you are not alone. For example, Philip wanted to improve the quality and frequency of his prayers, but he struggled to find time to pray. Erika’s goal was to be punctual for meetings for field service; yet, she still arrived late for nearly every meeting. Tomáš tried several times to read the entire Bible. He says: “I simply didn’t enjoy reading the Bible. I made three attempts, but each time I only made it to Leviticus before stopping.”

2. Why should we not get discouraged if we have a spiritual goal that we have not yet achieved?

² If you currently have a goal that you have not yet achieved, rest assured that you are not a failure. Even reaching a simple goal often requires time and hard work. The fact that you still want to reach your goal shows that you treasure your relationship with Jehovah and want to give him your best. Jehovah values your efforts. Of course, he does not expect more from you than what you can give. (Ps. 103:14; Mic. 6:8) So your goal should be reasonable, according to what your circumstances allow. If it is, what can you do to reach it? Let us discuss some suggestions.

MOTIVATION IS VITAL

3. Why is motivation important?

³ Motivation plays a key role in reaching spiritual goals. A motivated person has a strong incentive or desire to work toward his goal. We could liken motivation to the wind that pushes a sailboat toward its destination. If the wind continues blowing, the sailor will likely reach his destination. And with a strong wind, he may even arrive sooner. Likewise, the more motivated we are, the more likely we are to reach our goals. “When you feel motivated, you try harder,” says David, a brother in El Salvador. “You try not to let anything prevent you from reaching your goal.” So, what can you do to feel more motivated?

4. What can we pray for? (Philippians 2:13) (See also picture.)

⁴ Pray for more motivation. By means of his spirit, Jehovah can motivate you to reach your goal. (Read Philippians 2:13.) Sometimes we set a goal because we know we should, and that is a good thing. But we may not really have the desire to reach it. This was the case with a sister in Uganda named Norina. She had set the goal of conducting a Bible study, although she lacked motivation because she felt inadequate as a teacher. What helped her? She relates: “I began to ask Jehovah daily to help me increase my desire to conduct a Bible study. In harmony with my prayers, I worked on my teaching skills. After a few months, I noticed that my desire had grown. That same year, I started two Bible studies.”

5. On what could we meditate to increase our motivation?

⁵ Meditate on what Jehovah has done for you. (Ps. 143:5) The apostle Paul meditated on Jehovah’s undeserved kindness toward him, and this motivated him to work hard for Jehovah. (1 Cor. 15:9, 10; 1 Tim. 1:12-14) Similarly, the more you meditate on what Jehovah has done for you, the more motivated you will feel to reach your goal. (Ps. 116:12) Consider what helped a sister in Honduras to reach her goal of becoming a regular pioneer. She says: “I reflected on how much Jehovah loves me. He brought me to his people. He cares for me and protects me. Such meditation strengthened my love for him and increased my motivation.”

6. What else can help us increase our motivation?

⁶ Focus on the blessings of reaching your goal. Note what helped Erika, mentioned earlier, with her goal of being punctual. She says: “I realized that I was missing out on so much by being late for the ministry. But by arriving earlier, I would be able to greet the brothers and sisters and spend time with them. I would also be able to listen to practical suggestions that would help me enjoy and improve my ministry.” Erika focused on the benefits of being punctual, and she reached her goal. What blessings could you focus on? If your goal relates to Bible reading or prayer, think about how it will strengthen your friendship with Jehovah. (Ps. 145:18, 19) If your goal is to cultivate a Christian quality, focus on how it will improve your relationships with others. (Col. 3:14) Why not make a list of all the reasons why you want to reach your goal? Regularly consult that list. Tomáš, quoted earlier, says: “The more reasons I have to achieve a goal, the less likely I am to give up on it.”

7. What helped Julio and his wife to reach their goal?

⁷ Spend time with those who will motivate you. (Prov. 13:20) Note what helped Julio and his wife to reach their goal of expanding their ministry. He says: “We chose friends who supported our goal, and we would discuss our goal with them. Many of them had already achieved similar goals, so they could give us useful suggestions. Our friends would also ask us how our plans were coming along, and they encouraged us when we needed it.”

WHEN WE LACK MOTIVATION

8. What could happen if we were to work on a goal only when we felt motivated? (See also picture.)

⁸ Realistically, though, we all have days when we do not feel motivated. Does this mean that we cannot work on our goal? No. To illustrate: The wind can be a strong force that pushes a sailboat toward its destination. Yet, the wind varies in strength, and on some days, there may be no wind at all. Does this mean that the sailor cannot keep moving? Not necessarily. For example, some sailboats have a motor; others have oars. The sailor can use these means to keep moving toward his destination. Our motivation can be likened to the wind; how motivated we feel may vary. And on some days, we may feel no motivation to work on our goal. So if we were to work on our goal only when we felt motivated, we might never reach it. But just as the sailor finds other ways to reach his destination, we can still work toward our goal even when we are not motivated. Though this will require self-discipline, the results are worthwhile. Before discussing what we can do, let us address a question that may arise.

9. Is it wrong to keep working toward a goal when we do not feel motivated to do so? Explain.

⁹ Jehovah wants us to serve him happily and willingly. (Ps. 100:2; 2 Cor. 9:7) So should we keep working toward a spiritual goal if we do not feel like it? Consider the apostle Paul’s example. He said: “I strictly discipline my body and lead it as a slave.” (1 Cor. 9:25-27, study note on verse 27) Paul forced himself to do what was right even when he may have felt inclined to do otherwise. Did Jehovah approve of Paul’s service? Definitely! And Jehovah rewarded him for his efforts.​—2 Tim. 4:7, 8.

10. What are the benefits of working toward a goal even when we are not motivated?

¹⁰ Similarly, Jehovah is pleased to see us working toward our goal even when we do not feel motivated to do so. He is pleased because although we may not always be doing it out of love for that activity, he knows that we are doing it out of love for him. Just as Jehovah blessed Paul, He will bless us for our efforts. (Ps. 126:5) And as we experience Jehovah’s blessing, we may even start to feel motivated. A sister from Poland named Lucyna says: “Sometimes, I do not want to go out in field service, especially when I’m tired. Nevertheless, the joy that I feel after going out is an amazing gift.” So let us see what we can do when we lack motivation.

11. How can Jehovah help us strengthen our self-control?

¹¹ Pray for self-control. Self-control is the ability to control one’s feelings and actions. The expression often conveys the thought of restraining ourselves from doing bad. However, self-control is also required in order to move us to do good, especially if a task is difficult or if we do not feel motivated. Remember, self-control is part of the fruitage of the spirit, so ask Jehovah for holy spirit to help you cultivate that important quality. (Luke 11:13; Gal. 5:22, 23) David, mentioned earlier, explained how prayer helped him. He wanted to be more regular with his personal study. He says: “I would ask Jehovah to help me cultivate self-control. With his help, I was able to start a good study program and to be consistent.”

12. How does the principle found at Ecclesiastes 11:4 relate to spiritual goals?

¹² Do not wait for perfect circumstances. In this world, we will likely never have ideal circumstances. If we wait for them, we may never reach our goal. (Read Ecclesiastes 11:4.) A brother named Dayniel says: “There are no perfect circumstances. We create the best circumstances when we simply start.” A brother in Uganda named Paul mentions yet another reason why we should not procrastinate: “When we start despite challenging circumstances, we give Jehovah something to bless.”​—Mal. 3:10.

13. What are the advantages of starting with small goals?

¹³ Start small. We may lack motivation because our goal seems very hard to achieve. If this is true in your case, could you break down your goal into smaller ones? If your goal is to cultivate a quality, why not first work on displaying it in small ways? If your goal is to read the entire Bible, could you start by scheduling shorter periods of reading time? Tomáš, mentioned in the introduction, struggled with his goal of reading the Bible in a year. He says: “I realized that I had chosen a pace that was too fast for me. So I decided to try again, but this time, I planned on reading a few paragraphs every day and meditating on them. As a result, I started to enjoy my reading.” As Tomáš’ enjoyment increased, he began reading for longer periods of time. Eventually, he read the whole Bible.c

DO NOT BE DISCOURAGED BY SETBACKS

14. What setbacks might we have?

¹⁴ Unfortunately, no matter how motivated or disciplined we are, we may still have setbacks. For example, “unexpected events” may rob us of the time we need to work on our goal. (Eccl. 9:11) We may face a difficulty that leaves us feeling discouraged and with little strength. (Prov. 24:10) Our imperfect flesh may cause us to act in a way that does not help us with our goal. (Rom. 7:23) Or we may just feel tired. (Matt. 26:43) What can help us to overcome a setback or a bad day?

15. If we have a setback, does that mean we have failed? Explain. (Psalm 145:14)

¹⁵ Remember that a setback does not mean you have failed. The Bible says that we may repeatedly experience problems or difficulties. However, it also makes clear that we can get up again, especially with Jehovah’s help. (Read Psalm 145:14.) The brother named Philip, mentioned earlier, measures success this way: “My success is not based on how many times I fall. Rather, it is based on how many times I get myself back on track.” David, quoted earlier, says: “I try to view setbacks and bad days, not as obstacles, but as opportunities to show Jehovah how much I love him.” Yes, by moving forward despite a setback, you prove to Jehovah that you want to please him. How happy Jehovah must be when he sees you continuing to strive for your goal!

16. What can a setback teach us?

¹⁶ View the setback as a learning experience. Think about what caused it, and ask yourself, ‘Could I change something to avoid having another setback?’ (Prov. 27:12) Sometimes, though, setbacks could reveal that a goal was not as realistic as we thought. If you feel that this might be true in your case, reassess your goal to see if it is still reasonable for you.d Jehovah will not consider you a failure for not achieving a goal that was out of your reach.​—2 Cor. 8:12.

17. Why should we keep in mind what we have already accomplished?

¹⁷ Keep in mind what you have already achieved. The Bible says that “God is not unrighteous so as to forget your work.” (Heb. 6:10) So neither should you forget. Reflect on what you have already accomplished​—be it developing a friendship with Jehovah, speaking to others about him, or getting baptized. Just as you have progressed and reached spiritual goals in the past, you can continue to progress toward your current goal.​—Phil. 3:16.

18. What should we remember to do as we work toward our goal? (See also picture.)

¹⁸ With Jehovah’s help, you can reach your goal, just like a sailor who happily reaches his destination. But remember, many sailors also enjoy the journey. Similarly, as you continue working toward your spiritual goal, do not forget to enjoy seeing how Jehovah helps and blesses you along the way. (2 Cor. 4:7) If you do not give up, you will receive even greater blessings.​—Gal. 6:9.