This is part 1 of 2 articles in this series on goalsetting and accomplishment based on lessons from Nehemiah's goals.
Introduction
Nehemiah had a big goal of rebuilding the ruined walls. This goal can be considered audacious and ambitious when we examine it from various perspectives such as the wall’s symbolic importance, the magnitude of the task, economic implications and time-sensitive nature of what he was seeking to accomplish. The lessons learned from the Biblical account in the Book of Nehemiah provide insights for us to apply to how we set and accomplish goals relating to our spiritual life, career, leadership, finances, relationships and other areas of our life. If you are seeking to achieve some audacious goals, well outside your comfort zone you may find this discussion instructive. We started a discussion about goals earlier this year but this article provides some additional depth and more thought-provoking questions.
Lessons for the Modern World
Some goals may seem daunting at first glance. That's how I felt about writing books. Are you being led to pursue some audacious goals in this season of your life? As a Career Consultant and Coach, I am usually helping individuals with their professional goals and career aspirations. However, as a Certified Life Purpose Coach I know that these principles are applicable to setting and achieving goals for our spiritual life, career, leadership, finances, relationships and other areas of our life. So let us explore the lessons gleaned from Nehemiah's story.
Create Transformational goals
Make sure that your goals align with God’s agenda and godly values that lead to transformation. We should aspire for achievements that align with God’s plan for us, our families, community, country or humanity. Nehemiah’s goal had a transformational purpose, along with social, spiritual and political impact. Similarly, we should ensure that we use SMART goals that are also values driven. Take time to evaluate each goal against your list of core values to determine if it matches what you consider meaningful and impactful. Let’s be clear how our goals are serving others, creating impact as well as match our values.
Continue to Pray with Purpose
Nehemiah’s prayer for favour from God was pivotal to the approval of his request when he approached the king. Nehemiah asks God to grant him success and mercy in the presence of the king, Artaxerxes, as he plans to request permission to go to Jerusalem and rebuild the city. There were multiple references to other situations when prayer was critical to progress with Nehemiah’s goal. Some examples include after being taunted by Tobiah and Sanballat as well as other threats. Let's commit to purposeful prayer for favour, direction, insights and victory.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is possible to set and achieve audacious goals starting with the foundational principles discussed in this article. This discussion leads us to contemplate how we ensure your goals positively impact others in your community, family, or organization. It is important to be clear how aligned our current goals are with our core values and impact-driven life. Also, it emphasizes the importance of seeking divine guidance, inspired by Nehemiah's dependence on prayer. It is time to embed prayer into our goal-setting and decision-making processes. Overall, let us think about the broader impact of our goals. It is likely that we are led to aspire to audacious goals for social and spiritual significance, just like Nehemiah’s goals.
About the author
Michelle Gibson-Morgan is an award-winning Jamaican-Canadian leader, certified coach, global speaker, and consultant who specializes in career development, change management and leadership. She is also bestselling author. Being a Christian for over two decades, she often provides insights from the intersection of faith and career/business. If you have a career topic or question you would like Michelle to address you can use this link to share it directly with her.
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