Living strong in the Lord

Setting and achieving goals that matter

Romans 12:11 Do not slack in your faithfulness and hard work. Let your spirit be on fire, bubbling up and boiling over, as you serve the Lord.  (This is my Scripture for 2015).

My main goal in 2015 is to go deeper in my spiritual journey with the Lord.
I never want to be satisfied in the place I am unless I am certain that God has put me there.

According the Dr. David Jeremiah, most of us think we're too busy and we are. But much of our “busyness” is the result of how we choose to spend our non-working hours. He goes on to say that Christians should step back and take a bigger and longer view of where we are in life.

I'm asking myself hard questions.
Am I still passionate about kingdom building and am I using that passion as a vibrant witness for Christ? Or do I need to be still and listen for other instructions?

Time isn't on our side - Psalm 90:10a We may journey through life for 70 years; some may live and breathe 80 years—if we are strong.

In the January issue of the Turning Point Magazine and Devotional, Dr. Jeremiah reminds us that time ticks away and provides some tips to help us do what God assigns.

1. Keep in mind that God has placed us on earth for a fleeting time.

2.  De-clutter our schedules so we can do what matters to God.

3. Take advantage of small segments of time.

4. Take time for the most important things.

I don't want to do what I've always done for Christ. I will take that extra step that requires faith to really live the passion that God put in my heart years ago. What about new passions Christ wants for me? I don't want same old - same old. Can you relate? 

Pastor Rob Morgan writes in his new book, Mastering Life Before It's Too Late: Biblical Strategies for a Lifetime of Purpose, that we're not always going to do great things. But if Christ assigns something that we complete, then it's greater in God's eyes than a magnificent task like building the pyramids.

The entire point is to seek God's will in whatever we do consistently.

Do not just stay in one comfortable spot repeating actions and behaviors over and over without God's confirmation. Dr. Jeremiah offers these suggestions for seeking expanded or new opportunities to serve.

1. Believe that God wants you to flourish and be fruitful.

2. Get involved - take a risk.

3. Look for the open door.

4. Trust God is with you.

5. Seek God's will and listen!

Key message: We don't need a map from God for the next five years - just one for today!

Get what you really want out of life.

I'm challenging myself to go deeper to break my comfort zone, to zip into the discomfort zone and tiptoe in the delusional zone as Michael Hyatt calls the zones most of us live in when it comes to goal setting.

Hyatt’s blog focuses on intentional leadership and he primarily writes on personal development, leadership, productivity, platform and publishing with a Christian perspective. His emails come directly to my main mailbox because I count on and respect his keen insights on many topics -- he’s practical and down-to-earth. His video on how to pack your trip bags better is a favorite. These are my notes from his webinar on goal setting.

Believe you can win.
Be aware and clear on your own self-limiting beliefs.
Watch the internal narrative that informs your mindset. Be careful what you say to yourself and others. Don’t internalize the negative aspects of personality tests.

Get past the past. Your future doesn’t include your past.

Set the right kind of goals you can stick to.

Goals must be 1) specific 2) measurable and 3) have a deadline.

Tap into the power of motivation.

Identify why you want to do it, what will keep you going and what 3-7 tasks you need to do to achieve your goal.

Beat procrastination.

“You don’t have to be great to start. But you have to start to be great.” – Zig ZiglarHyatt says you don’t have to see the entire plan -- just get started and the steps will be progressively clear. Trust that your action steps will help you reach the goal. Get out of distractions and ask for God’s help.

Set big goals – God can help achieve them.

One of my ministries is to share my spiritual insights. My blogging and social media ministries reach people around the world. So I'm asking God what my next steps should be.  I will diligently seek His guidance each and every day of my life in all things I plan, seek or want to do.

I hope this post encourages you to move forward with the things God wants to do through your life. Live a passionate life and don't settle for mediocre. Serve His Kingdom because it will come!

All the best in 2015!