So, how do you know the difference? Ask yourself these questions:

Will my goal honor God?
What kind of goal brings glory to God? Any goal that causes you to trust him more, to depend on him more, to love him more, to love other people more, to serve him, or to serve others.

The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 10:31, “When you eat or drink or do anything else, always do it to honor God” (CEV). Even everyday tasks can be done to honor God.

You can honor God by taking out the trash. You can honor God by washing the dishes. You can honor God by doing that mundane task at work: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as though you were working for the Lord and not for people” (Colossians 3:23 GNB).

If you want your life to bring honor to God, set goals that help you be the best you can be for God’s glory.

Is my goal motivated by love?
God is not going to bless a goal motivated by greed, envy, guilt, fear, or pride. But he does honor a goal that is motivated by a desire to demonstrate love to him and to others. Life is all about learning how to love.

Why is it important to have goals based on love? If you set loveless goals, you’re going to treat people as projects. You’ll run all over them to reach your goal, whether they’re a family member, friend, or coworker. God says, “No, you’ve got it all wrong. It’s not about accomplishments. It’s about relationships. It’s about learning how to love.”

The Bible says, “Do everything in love” (1 Corinthians 16:14 NIV). Your number one goal in life should be to learn how to really love your family, your neighbors, and even those who are hard to love. That makes you more like God, because God is love.