Goal

Goal

My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ.

ONE BY ONE, small squares on the laptop screen lit up, filled with smiling faces from across the country and globe. Vicki’s lilting Scottish voice resonated through the microphone.

“It’s so good to see your faces,” she said, amid a chorus of hellos.

It was evening here, but midday the following day for Aimee in New Zealand. It was close to bedtime for our East Coast friends, not yet dinner for those on the West Coast. The group of women gathered four times a year to discuss a quarterly magazine publication, and we would spend the next few hours discussing the various possibilities for the next issue. From poetry to seasonal DIY features to inspirational articles on Scripture, the topics—and our opinions on their merit for this particular issue—varied widely.

Yet woven through all the various viewpoints was the recognition that the collective goal was to find and feature articles that would inspire women, speaking truth into their hearts yet leaving them encouraged. The ones that spoke most strongly to us had the most vulnerability, the most insightful application. It was the heart of the stories the authors chose to tell that mattered, not the use of fancy language or long-winded descriptions.

Though we were separated by distance, our minds were in agreement. As Christians, this should always be our ultimate goal: to love God and love others, and to do so by sharing the Good News of Jesus with others. Though the way we choose to do so varies, our goal is the same—we are called to unity rather than uniformity. No matter our approach, the stories we choose to tell about Jesus and how he’s changed our lives matter. Your story matters. That’s always a goal worth having.

Lord, help us to strive for the goal of reaching out to others with your Good News. May we be united with others in our quest to follow you. Amen.

-Kristin

One Good Step: In what ways does your life reflect the Good News of Jesus?