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Like most people, I have lists of goals—work out more, eat healthier, be more organized, get better at singing and playing guitar, read more—the list could fill a page. I don’t usually write them down, but they’re stored in my head, where I keep a lot of stuff. That’s its own goal—decluttering the mind—and a blog for another day.
Goals are good. They motivate us, hold us accountable, and give us a sense of accomplishment. But if we’re not careful, we can miss the beauty in the process—the hidden lessons, the small revelations, the slow unfolding of growth that happens along the way. If reaching the goal is all that matters, we might arrive without actually being changed.
The Beauty Found in the Process
The process itself is a sacred pathway. That’s where insight, self-awareness, and healing take root. If there’s no growth within us, what’s the point of achieving the goal? Is it for bragging rights, applause, or recognition? When those are the motivators, it may be time to revisit our goals and ask, What’s really driving me?
Tending to Our Spiritual Goals
Our spiritual goals deserve the same attention. They can be easy to neglect because they’re harder to measure. Spiritual complacency can quietly slip in and pause our growth without us even noticing.
We can set spiritual intentions to help shake off complacency—read more Scripture, pray more often, attend church, serve others, tithe, practice patience or generosity. These are all beautiful and worthy pursuits. But beneath them all, there is one goal that encompasses every other: love.
Love Is the Process
If our efforts don’t lead us toward more profound love—of God, of others, and of ourselves—then we’ve missed the point. Yielding to a process of transformation is a gift of grace.
Love isn’t a byproduct of a spiritual life; it is the purpose of it. Love is the process.
I’ve had to repent of this myself. Too often, I’ve learned simply to know more, served to be seen, or strived for perfection instead of transformation. Those were goals without growth—a process void of love.
I don’t want to minimize the fact that sometimes the process can be tedious, complex, or even painful. It often demands perseverance and endurance. But when we shift our mindset and see it as a journey of change rooted in love, we might begin to embrace it—trusting that every step is shaping us, not just leading us to a finish line.
The Goal Behind Every Goal
The real goal isn’t perfection or crossing the finish line—it’s transformation. It’s not about achievement, it’s about love.
The goal of every goal is to be changed by the process—to learn, to grow, and to be formed in the likeness and image of God, to become more like Love Himself.
