Our Primary Goal

From: My Utmost For His Highest Devotionals - Oswald Chambers

2 Corinthians 5:9 "We make it our aim . . . to be well pleasing to Him."

It requires a conscious decision and effort to keep our primary goal constantly in front of us. It means holding ourselves to the highest priority year in and year out, seeking only "to be well pleasing to Him." It is not a lack of spiritual experience that leads to failure, but a lack of working to keep our eyes focused and on the right goal. We should examine ourselves often, before God, to see if our life is measuring up to the standard He has for us.

Any goal we have that diverts us even to the slightest degree from the central goal of being "acceptable to God" (2 Timothy 2:15) may result in our rejection from further service for Him. When you discern where the goal leads, you will understand why it is so necessary to keep "looking unto Jesus." (Hebrews 12:2)

We must learn to relate everything to the primary goal, maintaining it without interruption. Our worth to God publicly is measured by what we really are in our private life. Is our primary goal in life to please Him and to be acceptable to Him, or is it something less, no matter how lofty it may sound?

"I continue my pursuit toward the goal, the prize of God's upward calling, in Christ Jesus. We must have this attitude. If you see it another way, God will clarify the difficulty for you." (Philippians 3:14-15)