1000 - 500 BC / Goal Achievement Steps / Solomon

Top 4 Examples of Types of Goal Setting In The Bible [Solomon]

By Effluo | Published June 11, 2022 | No Comments

The following examples of types of goal setting in the bible were derived from the teachings of King Solomon.  

King Solomon is considered to be one of the wisest and richest people in recorded history.  He lived from around 970 to 931 BCE, right at the beginning of iron age in the middle east.  His sayings and teachings survived until today and are recorded in the book of Proverbs in the Bible.  

The following list of goals were found in the book of Proverbs with a promise that following them will help you live a life full of meaning. 

Examples of Types of Goal Setting In The Bible

1. Gain Wisdom
2. Build Strong Relationships
3. Learn Something New Every Day
4. Be a Generous Giver

1   Gain Wisdom

The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom.   Though it cost all you have, get understanding.  – Proverbs 4:7

The book of Proverbs is considered to be the book of wisdom. It is, therefore, not a big surprise that the first goal you should strive for is to get wisdom.   Wisdom and knowledge go together, it is difficult for one to exist without the other, but not impossible.

Knowledge vs. Wisdom

Wisdom and knowledge are not the same.  Therefore, let us dive deeper into the difference between the two.  

Gaining knowledge means you are working towards improving your IQ, intelligence quotient.   You are quick witted, knowledgeable and intelligent.   Being wise refers to having experience and good judgement. 

For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.  – Proverbs 2:6

Throughout the book of Proverbs it becomes evident that wisdom comes from God.  

What does that actually mean?  Will you, like Solomon, wake up one day wise?  Possibly, but not necessarily.  

This means that if you trust God, He will give you wisdom.  Trusting God means trusting that he created you with specific gifts to live your best life possible. 

Please note, not the easiest life possible, but the best life possible. 

Step Out of Your Comfort Zone and Try New Things

If you look to have an easy life, you will miss out on the full experience of life.   If things are always easy to get, life will get dull very quickly.  You will not be challenged and you will not be getting any wiser.  The following clip from the show The Twighlight Zone shows perfectly that getting  what you want without the struggle is exactly the opposite of what people expect.

If, instead of an easy life, you look to have the best life possible, you will welcome new experiences and hardships as lessons to learn, and mountains to conquer.  Life will become a journey of adventures where you are taking the lead, not being lead by circumstances.  Embrace the hardships and all of the experiences as they truly make the life fulfilling.

This means trusting God.   With the knowledge that whatever situation you are faced with, He can use it for your benefit.  It means to step out of your comfort zone, and live the life you were created to live.  Discover your potential by trying new things and eliminating the fear of failure.   The more new experiences you gain, the more successes and failures you will have.  And the more wisdom you will gain in the end. 

Wisdom is not innate, but it can be acquired through experience.  Experience can be gained by living and learning from your life.  

Stay Open Minded and Expand Your Point Of View

Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.  – Proverbs 3:7-8

Remember life is a journey, and at no point should you say that you have reached the pinnacle of wisdom.  If you are alive you are still learning, your journey is not complete.  Once you reach the point and consider yourself to have reached the height of wisdom, at this point you close off yourself from learning from your experiences.

Do you see a person wise in their own eyes?  There is more hope for a fool than for them.  Proverbs 26:12

Socrates was a Greek philosopher who lived around 500 years after King Solomon.   Socrates was known for his humility.   He proclaimed that he knows nothing, and as such was always willing to learn from life and from people around him.   He was considered to be one of the wisest people of his time. 

The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.  – Socrates

Therefore, do not be afraid to step out of your comfort zone, reach new heights, make mistakes and learn from them.  Expand your circle of friends, talk to different people and truly listen to what they have to say. By learning as much as you can, analyzing your experiences and putting your knowledge to the test, you can become a wiser person.

Steps To Gain Wisdom

1. Trust that the life you are living was crafted just for you and God will lead you through it (i.e. do not become the victim of your life)
2. Step Out of Your Comfort Zone and Try New Things
3. Stay Open Minded and Expand Your Point Of View         
4. Learn from your mistakes

2   Build Strong Relationships

As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17

Solomon understood that humans are social creatures and relationships cannot be overlooked.   Second type of goal setting should be focused on building good relationships.  

You were not meant to go through your life alone, and no one lives in a bubble.  Solomon said that one person sharpens another, we learn from each other and that makes us better people.

Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.  Proverbs 13:20 

Find people that you want to emulate and develop relationships with them.   Be careful is selecting your friends, they can either build you up or bring you down.   According to Solomon, if you walk with the wise you will become wise.   If you associate yourself with the people that have already reached what you want to achieve, you will be able to learn from them.

Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.  Proverbs 15:22

Expand your network on regular basis.   Having a small circle of close friends and advisors is paramount to your success.  However, do not limit yourself to this small circle.  The more advisers you have the more points of view you will be able to see.  This will help you make the right decisions for success.  This means having a large network of people you connect with on regular basis will help you succeed in whatever you chose to pursue.   

Steps To Build Strong Relationships

1. Surround yourself with people you admire
2. Study the lives of people that achieved what you are trying to achieve
3. Expand your network

3   Learn Something New Every Day

Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding, – Proverbs 3:13

Let us revisit the difference between knowledge and wisdom.  Wisdom comes from God and from your life experiences.  Knowledge comes from increasing your intelligence levels.  This is the schooling your received, the books your read, and classes you took.

Wisdom and knowledge are referenced throughout the book of Proverbs as something that needs to go together.   It is important to gain new experiences and learn from them, but it is also important to expand your knowledge by learning new things.  It is paramount that you focus on both. 

Knowledge without experience is not as useful.  Experience without knowledge will limit the amount of things you can learn, i.e. will limit the amount of wisdom you can gain.

Be a Continual Learner

King Solomon stated over and over that we should seek to gain knowledge and understanding.  Around 900 years after King Solomon, Apostle Paul in his letter to a church in Rome elaborated further on the importance of gaining knowledge. 

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.   Romans 12:2

Paul called it the continual renewal of your mind.   What does this mean?  Your mind is continually renewed when you learn something new.   It is important to question everything that society expects you to believe and take for granted.  In other words, question the status quo,  i.e. Do not conform to the pattern of this world.

As you question and seek for answers everything around you, you will continue to learn and renew your mind.   The more you step away from the societal expectations for you, the closer you will get to the true purpose of your own existence, i.e. God’s will for you.

As you change the way you think and view the world, you renew your mind.  You create a better life for yourself and live a life to your purpose, a life that honors God. 

God did not create you to follow the crowds, he created you for the life that is uniquely yours. 

Steps To Learn Something New Every Day

1. Enrich yourself with education – take classes and learn from smart people
2. Read as much as you can and study bible and books of wisdom
3. Stay curious and question everything, practice the renewal of your mind
4. Question the status quo

4   Be a Generous Giver

One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.  Proverbs 11:24

Throughout the book of Proverbs, Solomon continuously points out the importance of giving.   According to him, everything always comes in a full circle.   Some call it Karma, others the Boomerang Effect, whatever you choose to call it, the end result is you get out of life what you are willing to put into it.

The more value you create for people around you, the more you will have in return.    This is true for your business, for your relationships and for your finances.

Those who give to the poor will lack nothing, Proverbs 28:27

Over and over the concept of giving is referenced as something that will not only benefit people around you, but in the end it will benefit you the most.   

People who do good works benefiting others often report being happier and living lives that are more fulfilled.

People who give money to good causes, typically do not complain of not having enough.  Interestingly the more they give, the more they feel fulfilled.   Some will say, that as soon as they start making more they will start giving.  Interestingly, according to Solomon, it is the opposite that is true.   As soon as you start giving you will find ways to make more money.   Test it out.

Steps To Be A Generous Giver

1. Find ways to create something of value for others
2. Allocate time for volunteering
3. Get involved in a local nonprofit helping people in your community
4. Donate part of your income to a good cause

Summary of the Four Examples of Types of Goal Setting In The Bible

To summarize, the goal setting in the bible is focused on living a life that was meant for you.  Discover who you are by stepping away from the societal norms and expectations.  Develop your relationship with God and discover the potential hidden within you.  Find that inner strength to live the life that was meant for you.  

1. Gain Wisdom
2. Build Strong Relationships
3. Learn Something New Every Day
4. Be a Generous Giver

Gain wisdom by learning from your life experiences and expand your knowledge by learning something new every day.   Build strong relationships and learn from people around you.   Be a value creator and a generous giver. Live your life to the fullest.

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