A new year

As we start a new year, several of us have committed to reading the Bible more. To be nourished from the Word.....with the end result, we hope, being growth in our Christian walk; becoming more like our Savior.

Have we done this before? Probably.
Would we really like to have more success this time? Absolutely!
Often the reason we have limited, or short-term success only, is that while we say we want to grow, we don't take aim on growth....we don't focus and really zero-in on growing. So each year, we do well for a while, but then drift into our old ways and don't experience that significant growth that we desire.
So, with different results in mind, let's see if we can make different plans. Let's employ a different strategy and see if we get to the results that we want.  This is going to be super-practical....and some of the things may be what we have tried before; some of the things we'll talk about may be things that we've allowed our focus to slip from; but bear with me -- I think if we do ALL of these wholeheartedly, we may have the success we have longed for.  BUT!!! And this is a big one: don't think that we must do all of them at the same time. Ever heard the term "drinking from a fire hose"? (Grin) Let's take notes, and prayerfully focus on two (or maybe three) goals to get started. Then move on to two more. After all, growth is a process, right?

Let's dive in!
When I'm looking for really practical counsel, I sometimes re-read some of Paul's writings. This guy was so down-to-earth and practical, I can easily imagine feeling comfortable feeding him a simple supper and then lingering about the table for some talk on spiritual matters in our daily lives. He wrote this to his younger disciple, Timothy:

On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness. (I Timothy 4:7b)

Just as in many other of his letters, Paul uses an athletic metaphor: the word translated "discipline" in the AMP comes from a Greek word -- the same word from which we get our word, "Gymnasium." Hmmm, in our world, we have lots of "couch potatoes," and we may even be them! We sit on the couch and watch sports and think to ourselves, "Boy, I wish I could do that!" But we know that all of that wishing can't make it happen. We probably don't have some of the natural, God-given talent that those athletes have....and we don't spend hours working out, practicing, and developing those skills, either! They have had a disciplined approach and they've worked hard. All for the goal of being proficient in that sport. No shortcuts there!

Paul is telling us that we need to do the same thing spiritually, for the purpose of godliness. And there are no shortcuts here, either! There are some folks out there offering easy and quick fixes. We're all prone to fall for those. Things that take long, hard, devoted discipline to conquer kinda overwhelm us, no?
Why do people play the lottery? Well, they don't want the hard work (and yes, the discipline) of living within their means and saying "no" to instant gratification.  It's hard sometimes to stay within our budget. It's hard sometimes to save instead of spend. Maybe we'll win the jackpot!
Why do people fall for diet scams? Well, taking a pill and losing fifty pounds sounds much better than pushing back from the table and exercising more!

In the same way, we may want an easy way to solve our marriage problems, rear our kids, succeed in life, or become more mature in the Lord. But real, lasting change only comes through disciplining ourselves for the purpose of godliness. Notice that Paul says our goal is godliness, not personal success. Being more godly means being more like God, and that comes from our knowing Him more and more deeply. Our aim should be to grow spiritually, to know God in a deeper way, and to glorify God in our lives.....we're going to find that our problems get solved and our lives get happier along the way.

Here is step one. I would really like for all of us to do this: Prayerfully take out a sheet of paper or a notebook and think. Write a one-sentence purpose statement for your life. Also write down a few (four at the maximum) long and short range goals from that purpose statement.
Seriously.
I think this will help me.
It may help all of us!
Now, I'm not saying that after that meal I mentioned, that Paul would dig in the pocket of his robe and pull out a purpose statement. But it's obvious that he knew where he was going in life.

I do all this for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings along with you. Do you not know that in a race all the runners run [their very best to win], but only one receives the prize? Run [your race] in such a way that you may seize the prize and make it yours! 25 Now every athlete who [goes into training and] competes in the games is disciplined and exercises self-control in all things. They do it to win a crown that withers, but we [do it to receive] an imperishable [crown that cannot wither]. 26 Therefore I do not run without a definite goal; I do not flail around like one beating the air [just shadow boxing]. 27 But [like a boxer] I strictly discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached [the gospel] to others, I myself will not somehow be disqualified [as unfit for service]. (I Corinthians 9:23-27)

Now, maybe Paul did write down something similar to what we are doing. I don't know! But it's pretty evident that he had thought carefully about what he wanted to accomplish for the Lord, and that he had organized his life around that purpose. Moses must have thought about it, too, because he said, "So teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom." (Psalm 90:12) Even he was acutely aware of the shortness of our lives, and the need to live wisely for the Lord.

Each of us will include different phrases in our statements. We may include words like "godly mother," "compassionate wife," "using my gifts," and things like those. Glorifying God should definitely be in there somewhere. Just sayin'. And the two "great" commandments of loving God and loving others apply to each of us, too.
So take your time.
Pray.
Then write out what is in your heart. What the Spirit guides you to write.
Now. In light of that statement you wrote, think about a few goals.
What goals will help us be better stewards? And there are lots of different areas, some of which may be more important to different people. Here are some areas to guide our thoughts:
               
           1. Better stewards spiritually (our morals and character)
           2. Better stewards in relationships (family, friends, those without Christ)
           3. Better stewards in ministry (how does God want us to serve Him?)
           4. Better stewards in financial areas (providing for family, giving)
           5. Better stewards in physical areas (taking care of diet, exercise, and rest)

Don't let the list go too long....instead, focus on two or three goals that you can prioritize. What will help us to be more pleasing to the Lord? Put those into our schedules. Read over our goals each week.
Then, every two to three months, re-read them and evaluate progress. Here is an example: if we are not spending consistent time in reading the Bible and prayer, set a goal of one half hour per day, and five days a week. Choose the best time of day to do it, and get started!!
A month from now, if that isn't working, pray about why it isn't working, and readjust if needed.

We'll discuss some other practical ideas next time!