God's Coaching #216

God's Coaching #216

Samantha Larson thought it would be fun to go on a mountain climbing adventure with her dad—and not just because it meant she would get to miss a week of school. The 12-year-old and her dad climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa at 19,340 feet. Samantha was no mountaineer. She was a good student who also played the oboe and danced. But she loved her African experience. She kept climbing with her dad. Then she set a goal: to climb the Seven Summits. Those are the collection of the highest peaks on each of the world’s continents.

For the next eight years, Samantha and her dad tackled the rooftops of the world. She worked toward her goal literally one step at a time. She walked up and down mountains, including Russia’s Mount Elbrus (18,510 feet), Alaska’s Mount McKinley (20,320 feet), and the 16,864-foot Vinson Massif in Antarctica. Samantha was so committed to her goal that she put off going to college for a year after graduating from high school to train for her final mountain: Mount Everest. She saved the highest for last, and when Samantha and her dad reached the top in 2007, she was the youngest person to have climbed all the Seven Summits. Her goal was achieved!

What’s the Score?

A goal is a target. It’s something you decide to accomplish or work toward. Goals are good for us in all areas of life because they help us set our priorities and choose what’s important to us.

There was nothing more important to the apostle Paul than knowing Jesus better and helping other people know Jesus too. He said, “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14, NIV). It was his No. 1 goal. He was committed to it 100 percent. So he made sure that everything he did pointed him in that direction. We should make different kinds of goals in our lives. Goals can help us achieve greatness. But our No. 1 goal should always be living for God.

On the Ball

Set three goals. Make one of them something about serving God.

1.

2.

3.

Coach’s Comment

I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:14 (NIV)