Telos

Goals

People love making goals. I love making goals. They're good for inspiration and motivation and keeping one on target. If you've known me for any length of time spanning the start of a new year, you may have noticed that for a long time I've been a resolution-maker, often going as far as sharing them publicly for the added accountability doing so provides.

You may also have noticed (if you are, indeed, aware of my penchant for resolutions) that this year I did not share any. There were a few reasons for that, one of which being the attentions and company of an amazing lady. But this lapse in resolution-ing was a very conscious and intentional decision; a decision about which I prayed for the weeks leading up to the new year. I've decided to share the motivation behind this change.

τελοσ

The Greek word τελοσ ("telos," pronounced tel'-os) means--depending on exactly what you're looking at--an end or fulfillment, a goal. I've also heard it explained before as aim, or the target towards which we're headed.

The New Testament tells us (Romans 10:4) that Christ is the τελοσ of the law; through Him and the righteousness afforded us through His saving work on the cross, we are made right with God. I'm not a biblical (nor Greek) scholar, and much of this is based on other things I've read, heard, or my own reading of this, but I would assume this is accomplished through our striving to be more Christ-like, not by tackling goals or by doing good work.

Augustine famously preached, "love, and do what you will," which in context, indicates that if what we are doing is rooted in love and charity, what we will (or, want) is going to be good and in line with God's will; our seeking Him causes our hearts to desire the things His heart desires. That being the case, it seems to me that if I focus first on loving God, then the rest of my actions should naturally increasingly fall within the bounds of His good, pleasing, and perfect will (Romans 12:2). In this way, the pressure of lots of smaller goals is relieved and I ought to still accomplish what really matters in the first place.

Be clear: good works are critical in the life of a follower of Christ, but they are an overflow of our heart in right relationship with Christ, not a means to that end. Good works are a reaction or response to Christ's love, not a means of obtaining favor.

Goals That Aren't

As a follower of Christ, my primary goal is (or, at least ought to be) to become more like Him in the way that I act, think, speak, live. Over time, I've learned about myself that I frequently get caught up in analysis or planning minute details and lose sight of the Bigger Picture, and this is just as much a temptation when it comes to goal-setting and my pursuit of Jesus.

As a result I approached things a bit differently this year. Instead of setting a heap of small, obtainable goals I decided to simplify by focusing first and foremost on personal spiritual growth. To reduce the risk of (pardon the probably-tired cliche) missing the forest for the trees, it made sense this year to make my relationship with the Lord the only real goal.

Don't misread me; goals are not bad. For many, they help keep us focused on the end-game and offer motivation along the way. Even though I haven't made firm, published micro-goals, there are still guiding targets that I'm using to help keep me on this path; I've mentally set some standards as far as personal prayer and quiet time, worship, and service. But these aren't goals in as much a traditional sense as they are guidelines, and at this point in time I won't be sharing them; another post may expound upon these in the future.

This also applies to life goals, though that topic is likely to receive attention in an article all its own someday. In short, while it is a goal to find a wife, get married, have a family, succeed professionally, and be well-enough off to give generously, these things all come behind knowing and loving God priority-wise. This makes it easier for me to stress less over when I'll meet a mate, where I'll work for how long, and all these little things that bog many of us down with worry day-to-day.

This Blog

It may be easier to describe what this blog will be about and what its goals are by sharing what it probably won't (or isn't intended to) be. This won't be a Scholarly Work of Staggering Importance; this won't be a devotional source worthy of competing with Brother Lawrence or Oswald Chambers; this won't be earth-shattering, novel, noteworthy material worth sharing with a (much) broader audience than that which sees it on Facebook or Twitter. Do feel free to share with anyone you think may benefit, however.

It is instead very likely that this blog will become something that is an amalgam of all of the above to some degree and of varying quality and intensity. My hope is that the things I am processing, praying through, find humorous, or am intrigued by may well resonate with some of you as well. In so doing, perhaps we can spur each other on as we continue along this journey of venturing towards our τελοσ, which ought be to become more like Christ in all that we say, think, and do.

The likely scenario is that I'll "think out loud" for all to see, and gather resources, thoughts, notes, and tidbits gleaned from various conversations, sermons, articles, books, movies, and more. I'll try to be clear about what is original, and will do my utmost to offer attribution where that is appropriate or necessary. 

It has been ages since I've written much and, while I like to think of myself as a moderately gifted communicator, I'm assuming that my skills of organization, word-choice, and grammar are a bit rusty. As a result, I'm hoping that this will also serve as an opportunity to hone a craft that I enjoy (at least the iidea of) with hopes that at some point I can write the next Great American Novel. Or at least a collection of humorous, semi-autobiographical essays.

In short, this blog will be incredibly ambitious, but humble; it will deal with weighty topics, but not take itself too seriously. The only rule is that there really aren't any rules.

Two-way

This shouldn't come as a surprise, but the best relationships--all, in fact--require two-way communication. I won't promise I'll always offer unpretentious and thought-provoking questions at the end of an article, but this time, we'll do our best to get a conversation rolling. So chew on this a little and get something going in the comments!

• Have you ever found that small--but concrete--goals stand in the way of making progress toward your Bigger Picture goal?
• What is your τελοσ; what are you aiming for?
• Are there any topics you'd like to see covered here, or conversations you'd be interested in having?