What's Your Aim?

Greetings,
We had an evangelist minister the word last night; as he ministered the Lord spoke this thought to my spirit:
"what are you aiming for". Along with it was, "how will you know if you hit the mark?" I decided to look up the few scriptures (New King James Version) that speak of such a thing. As I did, here's what the Spirit of God began to speak to me...

Romans 15:20
"so I have made it my aim to preach the gospel"

2 Corinthians 5:9
"we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him"

1 Thessalonians 4:10-12
"we urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more; that you also aspire (aim) to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing"

We have all heard this definition of "sin" - "missing the mark", such as a target, or a bulls eye. Yet we have all grown accustomed to making excuses for "missing the mark". On one hand we'll share the verse with the unbeliever "for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God", trying to get them to believe they need a Savior. Then we'll turn right around and use the verse about "if anyone sin, we have an Advocate...Jesus Christ the Righteous..." as we give a sigh of relief; making us feel okay about sinning or missing the mark.

Could it be that the Church has a problem with its concept of "missing the mark"? Could it be that we've grown too accustomed to missing the mark and, even though we call it "sin", the fact we have an Advocate seems to make it all right? Is sin, missing the mark, REALLY acceptable? Is it really what we're after?

Isn't it time for each of us to ask ourselves (and ask the Lord to reveal to us) "what is our aim?" What are we focusing on? Like trying to shoot an arrow at a target; you close one eye and shut out everything else with the other eye EXCEPT what you're aiming at. You gather everything within you to focus on one task - HITTING the mark, not missing it.

If "missing the mark" causes us to come up short of His Glory, what would happen if we, by the grace and power of God, began aiming at the right target (that which pleases the Lord) and then, started hitting it? Instead of spending our time wallowing in condemnation and despair because of our inability to walk with God, we'd have the joy of the Lord as our strength and God would have an open door to shine forth His glory in and through our lives...causing us to "lack nothing".

The Kingdom of God is STILL righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost! Holiness is STILL in style with Heaven's crowd! And aiming for that which pleases God is the only way to hit it!

Hebrews 1:8,9 gives us another clue on how to hit the target and get the glory...turn away from the things that displease God and love (or aim for) that which God loves. Simple? Yes, with the Holy Spirit's help. Jesus made it His "aim" to ONLY DO THAT WHICH PLEASED HIS FATHER. He made it clear, over and over, that His life was about knowing and doing the will of God. It didn't matter what choices He had; He wasn't trying to just "get by". He wasn't content to just "hit in the vicinity of the target"; no, He was going for the bulls eye with every decision He made. Paul told us to have the same mind that Jesus did (Philippians 2) and then taught about Jesus' life of obedience.

It is time, brethren, that each of us were as arrows in the hands of our Father. It's time that the Church, the Body of Christ, get fed up with just pointing in the general vicinity of some target. May His Spirit help each of us to "fix our eyes (set our aim)" and "set our mind"; making it our AIM to please our Father God in ALL WAYS!

Pastor Jan