Frankena’s Boxes

UltimateAimsGoalsResourcesThe WayThings ArePlan

Frankena’s Boxes

Ultimate Aims:

This box consists of the most important parts of your life. These things you are not

willing to compromise and are so important that you cannot be successful in life if you don’t accomplish

these. When Jesus was asked about what the most important commandment he responded by saying,

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself.” These are Jesus’

Ultimate Aims. Note there are only two.

Goals:

Goals are desires, things you want to do or accomplish. These things make you feel good whenyou do them, but they do not define who you are or how successful you can be. There is no limit to thenumber of goals you can have, in fact, people are actually encouraged to have lots of goals.

******************WARNING******************

Do not confuse Goals and Ultimate Aims! This is the most common mistake people make. When thingsthat should be in your Goals box end up as Ultimate Aims it will not end well. Have you ever seensomeone who spends too much time and energy at their job at the expense of their families? Or how about fathers who get caught up in providing things for there children and forgets to spend time withthem? Look at what the Pharisees did. They got so involved in the spiritual acts they were not able tosee when God was actually standing in their presence.

Resources:

This is comprised of all of the things you can possibly have at your disposal to accomplishyour goals. Again, when resources are placed in the right box everything is fine, however, when theyfind themselves moved around trouble comes. Take for example money. This is one of the greatestresources in our world today. However, when it moves from the Resource box to the Goals box you arein trouble. Resources can be just about anything imaginable from tangible things to ideas and evenrelationships.

The Way Things Are:

These are facts. Things you cannot change. Many great goals are leftunaccomplished because not enough time was spent on understanding the facts of a situation. Paulgives a great example of this when he talks about his battle with the sinful nature in him (Romans 7:7-25). We cannot change the fact that sin dwells within us; however, when we allow God to change us wehave a greater ability to overcome some of sins strongholds on us.

Plan:

This is where we put it all together. If everything in the four other boxes is in the right place the

plan is the easy part. However, when the plan is done first things don’t seem to work out quite as easily.

Remember back to the Ultimate Aims box? If a plan is created prematurely you could find yourself putting a great deal of time and effort into something that does not support what you really want to do.In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus talks about people who did signs and miracles in his name, but never

had a relationship with him, “Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, youevildoers.’” They tried hard, but they created their plan to early.

Frankena’s Boxes

Ultimate Aims:Your children will be introduced to arelationship with God through yourMarentingGoals:Salvation for your childrenPositive influences on your children'sfriendsChildren's preparation forrelationshipsResources:Church Extended FamilyFriends Jesus TimeParent's ExperiencesThe Way Things Are:Your marriageYour childrenYour relationship with GodPlan:Nursery/AWANA/Sunday SchoolRead Bible stories as a familyPray for themPray with themModel a relationship with God