“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” ~ C.S. Lewis
One of my favorite sayings comes from Mark Twain: “Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it don’t matter.” I have seen many “old” people who were, in fact, quite young. I have also seen many “young” people who were, chronologically, quite old. It really is all about mind over matter. If a person feels young, that person will act young.
C.S. Lewis reminded us that we are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream. As long as we have life within us, we can — and should — look ahead. We can dream. We can plan. All of these things are necessary to our growth. The day that we quit planning, dreaming, and looking ahead is the day that we begin dying. I have seen too many people who had begun the process of dying because they no longer had anything planned. They no longer looked forward to anything happening. When they were in such a state of mind, the “logical” thing for them was to give up.
God wants us to look ahead. He wants us to plan and to dream. He gives us good reason to do so. That reason, quite simply, is called eternal life. We are not doomed to death. We are destined to live. If we are to do so, we need to make ready for that wonderful opportunity. The best way to be ready is to live our lives each day for the Lord. To live our lives to the fullest. To dream about all that will come about and to look forward to that day.
Making plans and setting goals are logical steps. When we set goals for ourselves, we give ourselves something to look forward to accomplishing. Once we accomplish our goals, we feel good about ourselves and that gives us the impetus to set more goals so that we can continue to improve and so that we can continue to feel good about ourselves.
Life is a never-ending cycle of plans and goals. As long as we have something to accomplish, we will have the incentive to get things done. If we live in the past, though, we are not really living, we are merely existing.
What kinds of spiritual goals do we have for ourselves? Do we set the bar higher in our spiritual lives or are we merely existing? When was the last time you planned to do more in the faith? Do you have a plan, a dream, a goal?
FAITH ACTION: Take a good, hard look at your life and determine what still must be done. Set a new goal for your life today.