Values impact who you are and what you do. Roles and goals define who you are and what you need to do.

What roles do you play in life? Husband, father, pastor, teacher, son, friend, neighbor? You know what they are. Think through the following questions in determining the roles you have in life and the biblical injunctions that best speak to how those roles should be lived out:

1. List your roles.

2. Assign specific Scriptures appropriate to each role.

3. List any key people associated with these roles.

4. Write a clarifying statement that describes specifically how you would want to fulfill this role

If you have listed more than 7 roles, you may need to consolidate a few of them. Or you may even need to consider letting go of some of them – especially as you see more and more what is most important in your life and ministry.

The Franklin-Covey approach to defining roles and goals suggests that you consider four other areas in addition to the roles you have listed. Covey calls them “Sharpening the Saw.” These are the areas of mental, physical, social, and spiritual priorities you should pursue and keep sharp. These roles/relationships will have a significant impact on the next step in the process of becoming more focused and hopefully more productive in life and ministry: Weekly Planning (more on that next week).

Goals follow your roles. Ask yourself in regard to each of your roles, “What do I want to see accomplished in this role?” “Why?” “What would be a reasonable timeline in which to accomplish this goal?” Think long term. You can then set more timely benchmarks such as 10 year, 5 year, 3 year goals. I tend to set annual goals based on these other benchmarks, then I set some 90 day goals and evaluate how I’m doing each month.

Here’s what has happened in me doing this. My long term goals caused me to think more strategically about what I have been doing with my life and ministry. I set some pretty aggressive 10, 5, and 3 year goals, all of which are more than likely going to change a bit in the months to come. Why? I’m not convinced that my long term goals were wrong – I’m more convinced today that they are on track. However, providence in my pursuit of these goals is proving to reshape how I first envisioned them playing out. No problem. It’s actually very helpful, clarifying, and liberating – a bit exciting that these goals will take on an even more focused life in the months and years to come. All of that to say, the more the goals reflect biblical priorities and personal giftedness, the less these really will change. Circumstances may change, but living out who you were made to be in the context God providentially provides is more than likely going to fit within biblically centered priorities.

Next week we’ll consider how to plan each week so that goals become a more intentional focus of your behavior.