Your Aim Is More Important than Your Accuracy
Our culture values precision and accuracy. Whether it's meeting our business goals, shooting a basketball, or replicating a cake from a recipe book, we want our results as close to target as possible, and the more accurate, the more precise, the more perfect, the better.
Thankfully, God is not like that. Whereas we emphasize accuracy, God emphasizes aim, and has much grace for our wild inaccuracy.
DAVID WAS A PRETTY TERRIBLE MARKSMAN
Let me give you an example from Scripture. When God rejects Saul as king over Israel, he say to Saul:
“But now your kingdom must end, for the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart. The Lord has already appointed him to be the leader of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.”
~ 1 Samuel 13:14
When preaching to the Jews in Antioch of Pisidia, Paul reiterates the same:
“After God moved Saul aside, He made David king in his place. God had this to say about David: 'I have found David, son of Jesse, to be a man after My own heart. He’s the kind of king who will rule in ways that please Me.'"
~ Acts 13:22
Note in both instances David is called a man after God's own heart.
Let's just review some of the low points of David's character throughout his life: adultery, murder, pride, anger, recklessness, failure to practice what he preached, refusal to listen to the wisdom of others, violence, and bloodshed are but a few of the ways David missed the mark.
In other words, like God says of Saul in the first example, David also did not keep the Lord's commands. Both Saul and David were at times wildly inaccurate and frequently missed the mark of God's will, yet David is called a person after God's own heart while Saul is rejected. Why?
Because of their aim. David heart was set on pleasing the Lord. He wanted to love him, honour him, and obey him. He failed and missed the mark frequently, but unlike Saul, even though he tripped up time and time again, David was almost always aiming for the right target.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR US?
This is very significant to us because it changes the guiding question for our own actions. For a follower of Jesus, the most important question is not "Did I hit the mark?" but, "Did I aim for the right mark?"
The aim of the follower of Jesus is to be formed into his image (i.e. to be like Jesus): kind, loving, and forgiving. Are we always kind, loving, and forgiving? Of course not, but if that is our desire (the target for which we aim), we please the Lord, even when we miss.
If we consistently aim for the right target, the Holy Spirit will help us improve our accuracy (that is what the process of sanctification is all about). He lives in us and will move us toward wholeness and holiness our entire life.
However, although the Spirit will improve our accuracy, he will not change our aim - that is our decision alone.
PAUSE and REFLECT:
What are you aiming for in life? Is your aim aligned with God's target for you? Taker a moment to reflect on your decisions from the past few months, because they will help reveal what is most important to you. How might God be inviting you to cultivate godly desires in your heart?
Just as important, how do you judge others? When someone misses the mark (whether spouse, friend, boss, or employee), do you get angry because of their inaccuracy, or do you take a step back and look at what they were aiming for? A person who desires and tries to do the right thing and fails is far different from the person who doesn't even care and fails.
Finally, let us remember that regardless of our aim or accuracy, we are deeply loved by God and he always desires the best for us. As we seek to respond to this incredible love, let us also remember our aim is more important than our accuracy and give ourselves (and others) grace when we (they) miss the mark.
With the Spirit's help, we can align our target with God's target and trust God's love, grace, and process to help us hit the bullseye.
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Photo by Ricardo Arce on Unsplash