“When you accomplish a God-ordained goal, it is an ebenezer moment.”- Mark Batterson
Mark Batterson concludes his discussion of ten steps to goal-setting, as found in Chapter 15 of The Circle Maker.
7. Celebrate along the way. Accomplishing a goal is cause for celebration. Mark believes we should celebrate an answer to prayer, an ebenezer moment, with the same intensity with which we pray. Pastor Batterson writes that the Hebrew word ebenezer means “thus far the Lord has helped us.” Ebenezer is one of Mark’s favorite words.
8. Dream big. Your life goals will be big and small, long-term and short-term. Mark emphasizes that you need some God-sized goals in your life that would qualify as crazy, because big goals turn you into a big person.
9. Think long. To dream big, you need to think long. Pastor Batterson remind us of the question Honi the circle maker grappled with his whole life: Is it possible for a man to dream continuously for seventy years? Mark states that is possible if you set goals that take a lifetime to achieve. He explains why goal-setting is good stewardship:
“Instead of letting things happen, goals help us make things happen. Instead of living by default, goals help us live by design. Instead of living out of memory, goals help us live out of imagination.”
10. Pray hard. Mark stresses that goal-setting begins and ends with prayer: “God-ordained goals are conceived in the context of prayer, and prayer is what brings them to full term.” Circling your goals creates and helps you recognize God-ordained opportunities.
Today’s question: Which of Marks’ ten steps to goal-setting resonate most with you? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Keep circling”
