What Are Your Goals
Do your goals lie in prosperity, in being healthy and healed, to win souls, to pray until you see the salvation of your family, friends, and acquaintances? Maybe your purpose is to serve Him in some ministry capacity. All worthy tasks for sure, but they are all a part of the process God has for your life. When you are healthy, you have not arrived at your goal. Your worth to God is much more than healing or prosperity or any other promise you can mention. Your service to Him requires a reason for existing that goes beyond the momentary relief of life’s struggles.
Can a newbie serve Him? Yes, but in baby steps. The process brings us to our full potential in Christ. He has a plan for us, and if we are willing to endure the process and learn to overcome, we will see His plan.
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11 ESV
What is Your Process
None of us is born into our full potential. As we mature into our full intellectual responsibility (See my paper on Nous, click here), our process becomes our journey. Our journey can be full of adventure, anticipation, and joy. The Bible teaches us so.
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope”. Romans 15:13 ESV
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field”. Matthew 13:44 ESV
The key to enduring—and thriving—in this process is found in one reality: Kingdom living. But this cannot be borrowed or imitated. You must discover it for yourself. Stop measuring your worth against others. Stop trying to wear someone else’s calling. You were crafted as a one-of-a-kind masterpiece. You will never fulfill your purpose by becoming a copy.
“The most important part of Christianity is not the work we do but the relationship we maintain” (Oswald Chambers – OC).
What is Your History Like
Were you brought up in a somewhat less-than-likable family? If so, this is a part of your unique history that God will use to bring you into your full potential. Are you poor, rich, sick, or healthy? Were you brought up in an overbearing family, or a country where you were no more than a slave and not a son or daughter? Is (was) there little love in your life? As the saying goes, “I feel for you, but I can not reach you.” Only by the power of the Holy Spirit can you become an overcomer of a dreadful, turbulent history. But get over it, you can and will. Just let Him be. Do not interfere with God’s plan by thinking you know what to do. Receive and obey, and your soul will be filled with joy unspeakable, and your goal will not be a question of how but when. Let’s face it. God is very courageous. He deliberately chose us and we, having no value, become priceless, through His process.
What is Man
Scripture speaks profoundly and often about man—about you and me. While many of these truths may be familiar, they bear repeating: We are made in the image of God. This is not a metaphor; it is His original design and eternal intent. Within that image lies both our identity and our purpose.
We were created with inherent dignity and immeasurable worth, whether we believe it or not. Each of us is uniquely fashioned, not by accident, but by divine intent, with specific roles and responsibilities—both within the structures of society and the greater calling of the Kingdom of God. To live in the light of this truth is to walk in alignment with our Creator’s purpose.
To believe we are unworthy, incapable, or not enough is more than self-doubt—it is a denial of the Spirit’s witness within us. It borders on blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, for it disregards the very reason Christ came. His incarnation, His suffering, His atonement—all testify that we are not only worth redeeming but are central to the divine story. To reject that is to place our judgment above His sacrifice.
If we live in apathy, paralyzed by doubt, or cloaked in false humility, we risk becoming what Revelation warns against:
“I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.” Revelation 3:15–16, ESV
The most vital part of the Christian life is not in the work we perform but in the relationship we cultivate with Him. Everything else flows from that. This relationship is what God refines through His process, transforming us from image-bearers to glory-carriers.
How
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God”. Hebrews 12:1-2
Many run for the sake of physical exercise. Years ago, I too ran through the thick woods near our home, every other day. What began as a routine would often end in agony. Each branch, each stone, became a test—an obstacle that demanded effort just to lift my foot over. My clothes, drenched with sweat, clung to me like the weight of resistance. But I pressed on, step by step until I reached my goal. I ran until I was spent, sometimes near collapse. This is how we are called to run our spiritual race.
The Greek word agonia—from which we get “agony”—is tied to the runner’s strain, a word that carries the weight of intense emotional and physical exertion. To run is to suffer. And yet, it is the way of the faithful.
Do not expect an exemption because of intellect or strength. The race does not yield to human prowess. Every soul must face its obstacles—branches, and stones of the heart, trials, and temptations that demand to be overcome.
Many who ran before us—prophets, weary and broken—longed for death in their despair. Yet they kept moving. So must we. Keep your eyes on the prize if you must—but never stop running. Running is the process. Christ is the goal.
“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.” 1 Corinthians 9:24-27
Summary
Do not let your sense of morality—or even your desire to appear good—stand in the way of doing what is truly right. There is only One who is good: Jesus Christ. Let your soul reflect Him so clearly within that every outward expression bears His image without. We are not the center of the story—He is. His purpose, not ours, is the final product. He is the goal.
Every detail of our transformation must become a holy obsession. Wait patiently, but never passively. For there is no true patience without persistent pursuit. It is either patience joined with persistence, or idle drifting wrapped in empty thoughts.
Recently, while watching the TV series Foundation, a question struck me: “Can the inevitable only be saved by someone you love?” A little tricky, but think about it. The answer—for me and you—is yes. It is Jesus Christ who bore the weight of the inevitable death, sin, and separation, and saved us by His love.
His atonement on the cross accomplished everything. Jesus was not merely a great man. He was, and is, God incarnate. He created us to love Him, because He first loved us.
Conclusion
A pastor I recently listened to said, “What is worse than going to hell? – Answer, “Seeing your children there”. Remember this, and remember that your purpose is a process that can be only fulfilled by the Holy Spirit through you. This process not only reflects your life but also the lives of all those around you. Our goal is simply reflected in Deuteronomy 30:19.
“I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the LORD your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days,”
Enough Said
“Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O Lord, God of hosts.” Jeremiah 15:16 ESV
