1. What kind of spiritual goals can we set?

 AS TRUE Christians, we love Jehovah very much. We want our service to him to be of the best possible quality. If we are going to reach our full potential, though, we need to set spiritual goals, such as cultivating Christian qualities, learning useful skills, and looking for ways to serve others. b

2. Why should we set spiritual goals and work hard to reach them?

² Why should we be interested in making spiritual progress? Primarily, we want to please our loving heavenly Father. Jehovah is happy when he sees us use our talents and abilities to the full in his service. In addition, we want to make spiritual progress so that we can be more helpful to our brothers and sisters. (1 Thess. 4:9, 10) No matter how long we have been in the truth, we all can make spiritual progress. Let us see how we can do just that.

3. As recorded at 1 Timothy 4:12-16, what did the apostle Paul encourage Timothy to do?

³ When the apostle Paul wrote his first letter to Timothy, that fine young man was already an experienced elder. Yet, Paul encouraged him to keep making spiritual advancement. (Read 1 Timothy 4:12-16.) As you give thought to Paul’s words, you will notice that he wanted Timothy to make progress in two ways: by cultivating  such Christian qualities as love, faith, and chasteness and by improving in such skills as public reading, exhortation, and teaching. With Timothy’s example in mind, let us see how setting reasonable goals can help us make spiritual improvement. We will also consider some ways we can expand our ministry.

4. According to Philippians 2:19-22, what made Timothy a useful servant of Jehovah?

⁴ What made Timothy a useful servant of Jehovah? His outstanding Christian qualities. (Read Philippians 2:19-22.) From Paul’s description of Timothy, we can see that he was humble, loyal, diligent, and dependable. He had a loving disposition, and he cared deeply about the brothers. As a result, Paul loved Timothy and did not hesitate to entrust him with challenging assignments. (1 Cor. 4:17) Similarly, we endear ourselves to Jehovah and are more useful to the congregation when we cultivate qualities that he loves.​—Ps. 25:9; 138:6.

5. (a) How can you go about setting the goal of cultivating a Christian quality? (b) As shown in the picture, how is the younger sister working on her goal to show more empathy toward others?

⁵ Choose a specific goal. Prayerfully consider which aspects of your personality need improvement. Select one specific quality that you would like to focus on. For instance, could you cultivate greater empathy or a stronger desire to support fellow worshippers? Do you need to be more peaceable and forgiving? You may find it helpful to ask a trusted friend to suggest ways you could improve.​—Prov. 27:6.

6. How can you work to reach your goal of cultivating a quality?

⁶ Work to reach your goal. How can you do that? One way is by carefully studying the quality you want to improve. Suppose you decide to work on being more forgiving of others. You might begin by reading about and meditating on Bible examples of those who freely forgave others and those who did not. Consider Jesus’ example. He willingly forgave others. (Luke 7:47, 48) He also looked past their faults and  saw their potential. By contrast, the Pharisees in Jesus’ day “considered others as nothing.” (Luke 18:9) After meditating on these examples, ask yourself: ‘What do I see in others? Which of their qualities do I choose to focus on?’ If you are struggling to forgive someone, try writing down as many of that individual’s good qualities as you can. Then ask yourself: ‘How does Jesus view this person? Would he forgive him?’ Such a study project could help to readjust our thinking. At first, we may have to work hard to forgive someone who has offended us. But if we keep working at it, in time we will become more willing to forgive.

7. In harmony with Proverbs 22:29, in what ways does Jehovah use skillful workers today?

⁷ Another goal you can set is to learn a useful skill. Consider the vast number of workers needed to build Bethel facilities, Assembly Halls, and Kingdom Halls. Many of these workers acquired their skills by working alongside brothers who are experienced tradesmen. As shown in the picture, both brothers and sisters are learning the skills that are needed to help maintain Assembly Halls and Kingdom Halls. In these and other ways, Jehovah God, “the King of eternity,” and Christ Jesus, “the King of . . . kings,” are accomplishing marvelous things by means of capable workers. (1 Tim. 1:17; 6:15; read Proverbs 22:29.) We want to work hard and use our skills to glorify Jehovah, not ourselves.​—John 8:54.

8. How can you go about setting the goal of learning a skill?

⁸ Choose a specific goal. What skill could you focus on? Ask your congregation elders and perhaps your circuit overseer what skill they think you could develop. If, for example, they suggest that you improve your speaking and teaching ability, ask them to help you identify a specific speech quality that you need to work on. Then take practical steps to make improvements. How can this be accomplished?

9. How can you work to reach your goal of learning a skill?

⁹ Work to reach your goal. Suppose you wanted to improve your ability to teach. You could carefully study the brochure Apply Yourself to Reading and Teaching. When you are assigned a part on the midweek meeting, you could ask a qualified brother to listen to your presentation beforehand and provide suggestions for improvement. Earn a reputation not just for being skilled but also for being diligent and dependable.​—Prov. 21:5; 2 Cor. 8:22.

10. Give an example of how to make progress in developing a skill.

¹⁰ What if the skill you want to develop involves something that you are not naturally good at? Do not give up! A brother named Garry struggled with a reading disability. He remembers how embarrassed he felt when trying to read aloud at congregation meetings. But he kept applying himself. He now says that because of the training he received, he is able to give talks at Kingdom Halls, circuit assemblies, and conventions!

11. Like Timothy, what will help us to take on added responsibilities?

 ¹¹ Did Timothy become a notable speaker or an outstanding teacher? The Bible does not say. But no doubt Timothy became progressively more effective in carrying out his responsibilities as he followed Paul’s advice. (2 Tim. 3:10) Likewise, if we develop our skills, we will be equipped to take on added responsibilities.

12. How have you benefited from the service of others?

¹² All of us benefit from the service of others. When we are in the hospital, we are grateful to receive a visit from elders who serve on Hospital Liaison Committees or on Patient Visitation Groups. When we are facing a difficult situation in our personal life, we appreciate it when a caring elder takes the time to listen to us and provide us comfort. When we need help with a Bible study, we are pleased when an experienced pioneer agrees to sit in on the study and offers suggestions. All these brothers and sisters are happy to help us. We can share that joy if we make ourselves available to serve our brothers. “There is more happiness in giving than there is in receiving,” said Jesus. (Acts 20:35) If you want to expand your service in these or similar ways, what will help you to reach your goals?

13. When setting a personal goal, what should we keep in mind?

¹³ Beware of setting a goal that is too general. For example, you may think, ‘I would like to do more in the congregation.’ But it may be difficult to know how to achieve such a goal, and you may find it impossible to know when you have achieved it. So choose a clear, specific goal. You might even write down the goal and how you plan to reach it.

14. Why do we need to be flexible when setting goals?

¹⁴ We also need to be flexible when setting goals. Why? Because we do not have complete control over our circumstances. To illustrate: The apostle Paul  had helped to form a new congregation in the city of Thessalonica. And he no doubt had the goal of staying there and helping those new Christians. But opposers forced Paul to leave that city. (Acts 17:1-5, 10) If Paul had stayed, he would have put his brothers at risk. But Paul did not give up. Instead, he adapted to the changed circumstances. Later, he dispatched Timothy to care for the spiritual needs of the new believers in Thessalonica. (1 Thess. 3:1-3) How happy the Thessalonians must have been that Timothy had made himself available to serve wherever he was needed!

15. How might circumstances beyond our control affect our goals? Illustrate.

¹⁵ We can learn from Paul’s experience in Thessalonica. We may be reaching out for a privilege of service, but circumstances beyond our control are preventing us from receiving it. (Eccl. 9:11) If that is true in your case, be willing to pick a different goal that is within your reach. This is what a couple named Ted and Hiedi did. Because of a health problem, they had to leave Bethel. But their love for Jehovah moved them to look for other ways to expand their ministry. First, they took up the regular pioneer service. In time, they were appointed as special pioneers, and Ted was trained as a substitute circuit overseer. Then the age requirement for circuit overseers changed. Ted and Hiedi realized that they were no longer eligible for this privilege of service. Although they were disappointed, they recognized that they could serve Jehovah in other ways. Ted says, “We have learned not to limit our focus to one type of service.”

16. What lesson can we learn from Galatians 6:4?

¹⁶ We cannot control everything that happens in our life. Therefore, it is important that we do not measure our value by the privileges of service that we enjoy or compare our privileges with those that others enjoy. Hiedi explains, “Your peace disappears if you compare your life with what you see happening in the lives of others.” (Read Galatians 6:4.) It is important that we look for ways in which we can be useful. c

17. How can you work toward qualifying for privileges of service?

¹⁷ Make yourself available for privileges  of service by keeping your life simple and avoiding unnecessary debt. Set intermediate goals that will help you reach your long-term goals. For example, if your long-term goal is to become a regular pioneer, could you serve as a continuous auxiliary pioneer at present? If your goal is to serve as a ministerial servant, could you spend more time in field service and visiting the sick and elderly in your congregation? The experience you gain now may open the door to further privileges of service in the future. Be determined to do your best in any assignment you are given.​—Rom. 12:11.

18. As illustrated in the picture, what do you learn from Beverley’s example?

¹⁸ We are never too old to set and reach spiritual goals. Consider the example of a 75-year-old sister named Beverley. She had a severe health problem that made it hard for her to walk. But she longed to have a full share in the Memorial campaign. So she set specific goals. When Beverley reached her goals for the campaign, she was very happy. Her efforts motivated others to exert themselves in the ministry. Jehovah values the work of our older brothers and sisters, even if circumstances limit what they can do.​—Ps. 71:17, 18.

19. What are some spiritual goals that we can set?

¹⁹ Set goals that are within your reach. Cultivate qualities that will endear you to Jehovah. Learn skills that will allow you to be more useful to our God and his organization. Look for ways to serve your brothers and sisters more fully. d Like Timothy, with Jehovah’s blessing “your advancement may be plainly seen by all people.”​—1 Tim. 4:15.