My Aim

Written by cycleguy on November 18th, 2010

Do you happen to remember the old Peanuts comic strip where Lucy walked in on Charlie Brown and she saw a bunch of targets  with arrows in the bulls-eye?  When she comments to Charlie he says, “He just shoots the arrow and then draws the target around the arrow.”  That is the way a lot of people live their lives. Aimless.  “Shooting an arrow into the air/where it lands I know not where.”  It is easy to get into that type of pattern of existence.  Wake up, shower, shave, go to work, come home from work, watch TV/play games, eat, go to bed…all to get up the morning and do it all again. Routine.  Mundane.  Blah.

I have been reading through the Bible this year using the ESV One Year Bible and I am on my second go-round with Psalms.  I read the following just recently from Psalm 115:1-10

Not to us, O Lord, but to your name be the glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!  Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?” Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.

Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands.  They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see.  They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell.  They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk; and they do not make a sound in their throat..  Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them.

O Israel, trust in the Lord!  He is their help and shield.  O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord!  He is their help and shield. You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord!  He is their help and shield.

I really like verse 1.  My sole aim is not to bring glory to myself in any way, shape, or form.  My aim is not to shoot arrows all day long and then draw targets around them.  My aim should be “whatever you do in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Colossians 3:17).  My life should echo the words of John the Baptizer: “He must increase but I must decrease.” (John 3:30)  Paul put it another way: “May I never boast except in the cross of Christ.” (Gal.6:14)

I need to stop and ask myself a very serious question: what is my aim?  Am I doing what I am doing for the glory of me or for the glory of Him?  Does every word and deed draw people’s attention away from or toward the One who is worthy of all attention? These are some questions I am asking myself today as I face the day.  What about you?  Do you ever stop to ask yourself these questions?  How do you answer them?  This is not anything profoundly new to many probably most of you.  But they are questions worth pondering as you begin or go through your day. I would like to hear your thoughts.  Also…do you have any other Scriptures you might add?  Have a fantastic day!  Live for the King.

Late addition:  I want to thank you all for being patient with me while my internet was down at the office.  My usual modus operandi is to post any comments and response as soon as I can.  Not having service at the office changed that routine.  We are back online with ComCast and hopefully will not have that issue again.  By AT&T.  😛

 

23 Comments so far ↓

  1. *~Michelle~* says:

    This is something I struggle with and pray about often. Where do my true intentions lie (my blog, my thoughts, my relationships, ….my life?!??)

    ouch.

    Reminds me of that Casting Crowns’ song Until the Whole World Hears…

    “And I pray that they will see
    more of You and less of me
    Lord, I want my life to be
    the song You sing”

    Great thoughts here, Bill. 🙂

    • cycleguy says:

      Michelle: I think this is something that we all must face- some more than others. Like the words to the song. Thanks for being the first to comment this morning.

  2. jeff says:

    Everyone spends their day in words and deeds reflecting what they believe. To know what someone truly believes you need only watch them. If what they say they believe doesn’t comport with their actions then they have doubts about what they say they believe and they really haven’t settled their opinion on what they say they believe.
    I believe in gravity. Therefore I will never be caught trying to roll a ball up a hill. If I had doubts about gravity I may try to roll a ball up a hill every now and then.
    If we truly believe we should humble ourselves and give glory to God in all of our words and deeds then we will. If we have doubts then we will roll that ball up the hill now and then.
    I just think most people say they believe more than they do and their doubts will be obvious by their actions.

    • cycleguy says:

      Jeff: you are right in that very first sentence. I reckon that is why I want my words and deeds to reflect Christ. I also don’t want to be one pushing that ball up the hill. Thanks for the comment.

  3. Toby says:

    I used to have these thoughts about lots of blogs I read and then figured it’s not as fun when I turn the attention on myself and why I do what I do.
    I’d like to think my “work” is for the King, but I realize that I have my selfish days. Simply trying to recognize and limit those days or moments.
    Good stuff Bill!

    • cycleguy says:

      Toby: I like that…trying to limit the days. We all struggle with this. Limiting how often and when we “work” for ourselves is a key element. Thanks for the good words.

  4. Jim F. says:

    I like to aim high – if I shoot for the moon and miss I hit nothing but if I shoot for the stars and miss I just might hit the moon.

    I think a lot about this…I try to live in an intentional way that aims at specifics. I often when thinking about this think about John the Baptist who said “He must increase and I must decrease” and Paul in Colossians. It is just down right scary how much we think a like – down right scary!

    I appreciate this post a lot because I am not reminded near enough about my aim.

    • cycleguy says:

      You sure you aren’t a long lost twin of mine Jim? 🙂 this happens so often with our blogging thoughts that we just have to be!! Always good to have you come by. Like your first sentence.

  5. Tom Raines says:

    Great reminder Bill. A. A reminder that I am way too much like Charlie Brown and B. I must constantly drop my intentions at Jesus’ feet.
    Thanks!

  6. Bill, Way too many Scriptures to echo and support your blog here. However, Romans 3:4 springs to mind.

    “Let God be true and every man a liar.”

    Truth like that keeps my aim steady. Truth like that keeps me focused, grounded, and realistic.

  7. Kim says:

    I struggle with this and recently had a “crisis” with my blog. All of a sudden I wasn’t sure anymore why I was writing. Was it still to help me work through my walk – or was it so I could be like some of the people I have so come to admire.

    My answer was to retreat back to what I knew. Stop trying to aim my posts at others and start going back to just processing it for my self and welcoming others along for the ride.

    I aim to bring glory to God. I want to be a mirror of God’s love. Good reminder of what I need to be reflecting – His love not my image.

  8. The elementary school of Bible verses, but one of my favorites:

    Matthew 6:33 (New International Version)

    33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, …

    Merriam Webster defines aim as “to direct a course;”

    Seek God first and let God do the aiming.

  9. jasonS says:

    I guess what’s scarier to me is that Paul says that those who preach and do out of ambition and selfishness, we should just let them go. It’s wise because they aren’t going to listen to you anyway, but it’s scary because if we don’t allow the Holy Spirit to search us we can get way off course quick! I don’t want to be standing in front of Him in eternity telling him all the stuff I did and Him saying, “none of that was for me or from me.” Yikes.

    As many times as we call each other to examine our hearts and motivations, the better. We need a constant check and return to the centrality of Jesus and God’s glory. Good stuff, Bill! Thank you.

    • cycleguy says:

      You make a great point Jason. So important to allow the Spirit to search us so we don’t get off course. It is way too easy to do so. Call me on it any time you want jason. Thanks for coming by.

  10. lindaM says:

    Hi Bill,
    I like the idea here in this blog that we are people in a Kingdom with a King! I think we often think that old concept of ‘separation of church and state’. This is true in the natural world but not in God’s Kingdom. Under a king in the natural if you disobey or rebel against the King you will lose your head! (I’ve been watching some the Tudors tv episodes about King Henry the VIII).

    Obedience is certainly a part of being a subject in the Kingdom. We have a wonderful and marvelous King! We need to honor Him and live for Him with all our strenght, our mind, our heart. This is our reasonble service.
    I believe that one thing we do when ‘he must increase and we must decrease’ is we put off the old man. We voluntarily die. My belief is that we must humble ourselves and do this.

    I might be going in a somewhat different direction with some of these scriptures. I Cor 9:26
    Eph 4:22 Col 3:8,9,10 Rev 15:4
    I Peter 2:12 1 Peter 4:11
    Some of the search words I used to find these scriptures were ‘fight, glorified, honor, old man, glory’
    Hopefully, they will be of some assistance.

    Thank you Kim for the search word (glory). I appeciated your comment today. ‘I aim to bring glory to God’ Hallelujah!! Me too!

    • cycleguy says:

      Thank you Linda for the comment. As you have stated obedience is part of the kingdom. No question that if Christ is to increase and we are to decrease that humility must play a part. Thanks for taking the time to comment.

  11. Tony Alicea says:

    I think sometimes I take for granted that I know what my aim is but along the way I seem to forget. That’s when I get distracted and discouraged.

    It’s great to take time out, every day even, to remind myself of what I’m doing and why I do it!

    • cycleguy says:

      Tony: certainly understand the danger of taking for granted that creeps in. We do need to take time d for a daily reminder. Thanks for coming by.