Intentionally Keep One Christmas Decoration Out

intentionally

Christmas is over and the un-decorating now begins, making room for all of the new gifts we received for Christmas. How do we repack the ornaments? Where we store the lights? And what we do with the nativity scene? As you put the decorations away, let me challenge you to intentionally leave one of the items on display. 

When you pack your nativity scene and safely secure Mary, Joseph, and the manger, don’t put Jesus in the box.  At least metaphorically, keep Jesus unpacked throughout the year.

Often, we denounce our culture for “taking Christ out of Christmas.” But do we conveniently leave Christ out of our lives when it seems beneficial to do so? We stand firmly against those who have “taken prayer out of our schools.” But we do regularly pray with our children or pray privately in our prayer closets? We lament culture’s attempts to remove the Bible from public life. But do our Bibles gather dust on our end tables and shelves in our homes?

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What Is Your Plan for a Better 2015?

A plan is a wonderful thing.  We plan events and trips.  Ball teams execute a game plan.  Builders meticulously follow a building plan.  If you want to lose weight, you follow a dietary plan and most likely an exercise plan.  We do not expect important things to happen by accident, so we develop and carry out what we believe to be an effective plan to reach our goals.  Why do we not apply the same fervor to our spiritual growth?  Why do we expect spiritual growth to happen by accident? The Bible definitely doesn’t.

Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness… – 1 Timothy 4:7

For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. – Hebrews 5:12-14

“Train yourself.”  “Constant practice.”  These are not words that indicate something happening by accident.  Spiritual maturity takes place over time as a person intentionally seeks God in the pages of His Word, then faithfully practices the lessons learned.

What is your plan for Bible reading?  What verses are you planning to memorize? What topic are you planning to investigate?  What Bible character do you plan to analyze and whose example you plan to follow?

How much time do you plan to spend in prayer each day this week?  When will you pray?  Where?  How?

In what ways do you plan to stretch your faith and serve outside of your comfort zone this year?   What about a new ministry, mission trip or a service project?

How do you plan to grow in your financial stewardship?

If you want to grow, don’t expect it to happen automatically or accidentally.  Develop and follow a plan to grow.

Click here for some great Bible reading plans.

3 Non-Black-Eyed P’s to Start 2014

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might…  Ecclesiastes 9:10a

As 2014 begins, you may have already made some New Year’s resolutions.  You may even have already broken some New Year’s resolutions. In the scripture above, I find three challenges for the coming year.

Be proactive.  The verse suggests that our “hands” can find something to do.  Too many times we sit back and wait for things to get better, or wait for opportunities to present themselves.  Choose a course of action and will to follow it.  Do not be distracted or derailed by unfavorable circumstances.  In Matthew 7:7, Jesus said we are to ask, but then we are to seek and knock.  Quit waiting for God or for others to do what is yours to do.

Be purposeful.  The verse encourages us that when our hand finds something to do, simply to DO IT. Life is best lived intentionally.  Thomas Edison famously said, “Success is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration.”  We can often “overcook” opportunities by not seizing them when they arise.  In 2014 – less talking…more doing.  Like the Nike slogan says, “just DO it.”

Finally, be passionate.  The verse above says that we should do these things with “all of our might.” Life too easily slips into a comfortable routine. “Routine” is “rut” with four extra letters.  We go through the motions most days of our lives lacking passion and zeal.  Andrew Carnegie said, “The average person puts only 25% of his energy and ability into his work.”  Romans 12:11 challenges us: “Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.”   May God give us a strong aversion to the mundane, mediocre, and milquetoast. 

Three questions for reflection, answer them with specifics:

  1. What needs to change in my life?
  2. How do they need to change?
  3. What am I going to do foster those changes?