The sports world was abuzz! The player had scored on his own goal. Was it a mistake or did he forget where he was? Embarrassment and remorse filled his mind as he realized what he had done causing the team to lose the game.

The right goal is obviously very important – not only to the player but to the team. So it is in the Christian life. Some have lost sight of the goal, or never aimed at the right goal. Some think they reached their goal and are left with a “now what?” feeling. Missing the true goal hurts everyone, and as a result, the church is ineffective.

The apostle Paul said “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14). He spoke of being concerned about being disqualified in the race before he reached the goal. He likely knew that at best, only about a third of the people mentioned in the Bible finished their lives well.

Some of the kings of Israel started out well, but made wrong choices, failed to ask God or listen to Him, and sinned. David started out well but in the peak of his reign, he allowed his eyes to watch something that led him to adultery with Bathsheba. Murder, the death of family members and disgrace followed. He had the humility to seek God’s forgiveness, but the consequences followed him the rest of his life.

The apostle Paul was determined to keep up the good fight to the very end. Paul mentored leaders, encouraged the church, preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ and defended the Church against false teachers to the very end. Even though he knew trouble and hardship lay ahead, he did not waver from his goal. No doubt he remembered Stephen who used the Scriptures to challenge the Pharisees with rebellion against God only to be stoned to death. As Stephen was dying, Paul was watching him. Stephen “… being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God ; and he said, ‘Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God‘” (Acts 7:55-56).

It seems that for those who finished well, their goal was heaven where they would be with Christ forever. The goal was only reached when they crossed the goal line.

I wonder about the people who set retirement as their goal. Now what? No wonder so many people die shortly after retiring – they have nothing more to live for. While Christians do retire from their secular employment, they should never retire from moving toward the heavenly goal. Failure to press on is failure.

So what is your goal? Do you have the right goal in sight and will you finish well?