Does God Have Goals?

The basis for Christians to have goals is because God himself has goals.

2025 is almost here. In December, people who write about time management will churn out articles, host webinars, and post on social media about setting goals for the new year. High achievers will even encourage you to start on your goals today, not on the first of January.

Interestingly, sometimes Christians have a confused, over-spiritualized view of goals. Church staff members might seem perplexed when a Lead Pastor encourages his staff to make ministry goals. “You can’t run a church like a business,” one staff member might protest. Since church growth is from God and much of our work is spiritual and unseen, goal-setting can seem like an anti-Christian pursuit.

Here’s how Dan Doriani puts it: “I propose that good work has five elements: need, talent, disciplined effort, direction, and correct social appraisal.” Consider Doriani’s use of “direction” for doing good work. How can you have proper direction in your work without a goal? How can you tell whether you’re succeeding or failing if you don’t know what you’re aiming for? In truth, sometimes we relieve ourselves of setting goals because we don’t want to face the music that we’re not as faithful with our lives as we should be.

I plan to add my voice to the mix of those talking about the practicals of goal-setting. But before I share the practical, I want to think theologically. Here’s my question: Does God have goals? The answer is yes. In studying Christian theology and Scripture, you’ll discover a God who has a goal for his creation. The basis for Christians to have goals is because God himself has goals. Setting goals, therefore, is not an anti-Christian pursuit.

What Are God’s Goals?

The word “telos” comes from the words “purpose” and “end.” God has an ultimate purpose, or telos, for his creation. Jonathan Edwards brilliantly discusses this topic in his A Dissertation Concerning The End For Which God Created The World. If you’re familiar with Edwardian theology, then you probably know the answer: God created the world to glorify and magnify himself, and for his creatures to take pleasure in his glory. At least, that’s the short answer, and Edwards elaborates at length on God’s goal in creation in his book. The only real way for people to find happiness in a fallen world is by being satisfied by the glory of God. There’s a purpose ― or a goal ― for God’s creation and your life.

Consider the way Paul says it in Ephesians 1. Paul tells us God has “a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth” (Ephesians 1:10). And God does this “to the praise of his glory” (Ephesians 1:12). God has a plan to unite all things in him, and this is for his glory. It hasn’t happened yet ― but it’s one of his goals that will indisputably come to pass.

God has a goal to accomplish the great commission through his church. We often refer to the Book of Acts as the acts of the Apostles, but it’s the acts of God through the Apostles. The great commission will one day be completed. But it hasn’t yet. It’s one of God’s goals, but he is patient, giving unbelievers time to repent.

God has a goal to gather his chosen people to himself. Why hasn’t Jesus come back yet? Many reasons. One of them is because God has more people he wants to save first, more people he wants to find fulfillment in his glory, and more people he wants in the New Creation. God is always working but works on his timing. He always accomplishes his goals, but he doesn’t always rush them.

God has a goal to renew all things. When Jesus returns, he’s not going to annihilate everything but renew everything. God has a goal to renew and restore creation. On his timing, he will complete it.

In saying that you can have goals because God does, I need to make a distinction. When you set a goal, you may or may not accomplish it. For you, you not only need to develop the proper habits and self-discipline required to meet your goals, but you also need to anticipate the future and make adjustments to the inevitable obstacles that will be thrown your way. But God is different. He doesn’t need to develop new character traits to achieve his goals because he is already perfect. He doesn’t need to anticipate the future because he is omniscient. God always accomplishes every one of his goals.

So, are goals then required of Christians? Required? No, you’re not required to have goals. But it is ethically permissible for Christians to have goals because God himself does.