Elizabeth George's Blog, page 16

Create a Friendship with Your Spouse

Have you and your husband ever had a wake-up call in your relationship? Have you experienced that sobering moment when you realized you are no longer the same couple you were in the dating and newlywed years? One day, you and your spouse-to-be were the best of friends and couldn't wait to get married and be together. And then, sooner or later, the day came when you wondered, "What happened? How did we get here?"

Well, my friend, life happened. Life came along with all its ups and downs, trials and triumphs, and your marriage experienced a few bumps along the way. And before you knew it, the close intimacy and friendship you two once had seemed lost.

So what's the solution? Your spouse's friendship is the greatest treasure you possess, after your relationship with God, and must be tended to.

To begin, refocus your heart on your marriage and your spouse. Pray for one another daily - for your roles and responsibilities to each other and to your family. As you begin to pray, you are essentially asking God to remind you and your spouse of four areas of a healthy, godly marriage:

Your physical relationship (Ephesians 5:31)
Your intellectual relationship (I Peter 3:7)
Your emotional relationship (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)
Your spiritual relationship (Romans 8:17).

Beyond prayer, what else can you do to get back to those best-friends-forever days? Getting back to those early days in your relationship may simply be a matter of remembering the fundamentals. Think back to the beginning and what you did to nurture your relationship with your spouse-to-be. Write down a list of common interests and goals as a couple. Then make a plan to do some of these activities again. Prioritize time alone together, and best of all, have fun together!

Purpose in your heart to cultivate friendship and intimacy in your marriage. Intentionally build the kind of relationship where you say of one another, “This is my beloved, and this is my friend” (Song of Solomon 5:16).

RESPOND:

God, you can make all things new – including my friendship with my spouse. As You renew us individually day by day, may our relationship also experience new life as we follow You.

RENEWING RESOURCES:

15 Verses to Pray for Your Husband OR A Couple After God's Own Heart

REFLECT:

Think back on the days when you and your spouse were courting. What did you do to nurture your relationship? Take a moment to write a list, then make a commitment to do some of these activities again—the activities that helped you to become best friends.

REMEMBER:

After your friendship with God, your spouse’s friendship is the greatest treasure you possess.

Cultivate a Friendship with Your Spouse

Have you and your husband ever had a wake-up call in your relationship? Have you experienced that sobering moment when you realized you are no longer the same couple you were in the dating and newlywed years? One day, you and your spouse-to-be were the best of friends and couldn't wait to get married and be together. And then, sooner or later, the day came when you wondered, "What happened? How did we get here?"

Well, my friend, life happened. Life came along with all its ups and downs, trials and triumphs, and your marriage experienced a few bumps along the way. And before you knew it, the close intimacy and friendship you two once had seemed lost.

So what's the solution? Your spouse's friendship is the greatest treasure you possess, after your relationship with God, and must be tended to.

To begin, refocus your heart on your marriage and your spouse. Pray for one another daily - for your roles and responsibilities to each other and to your family. As you begin to pray, you are essentially asking God to remind you and your spouse of four areas of a healthy, godly marriage:

Your physical relationship (Ephesians 5:31)
Your intellectual relationship (I Peter 3:7)
Your emotional relationship (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)
Your spiritual relationship (Romans 8:17).

Beyond prayer, what else can you do to get back to those best-friends-forever days? Getting back to those early days in your relationship may simply be a matter of remembering the fundamentals. Think back to the beginning and what you did to nurture your relationship with your spouse-to-be. Write down a list of common interests and goals as a couple. Then make a plan to do some of these activities again. Prioritize time alone together, and best of all, have fun together!

Purpose in your heart to cultivate friendship and intimacy in your marriage. Intentionally build the kind of relationship where you say of one another, “This is my beloved, and this is my friend” (Song of Solomon 5:16).

RESPOND:

God, you can make all things new – including my friendship with my spouse. As You renew us individually day by day, may our relationship also experience new life as we follow You.

RENEWING RESOURCES:

15 Verses to Pray for Your Husband OR A Couple After God's Own Heart

REFLECT:

Think back on the days when you and your spouse were courting. What did you do to nurture your relationship? Take a moment to write a list, then make a commitment to do some of these activities again—the activities that helped you to become best friends.

REMEMBER:

After your friendship with God, your spouse’s friendship is the greatest treasure you possess.

Women Leaders of the Bible: Miriam, Sister of Moses

Miriam was the sister of Moses and Aaron, and the daughter of Amran and Jochebed. She is one of seven major prophetess' in the Bible.

The first time we meet Miriam in the Bible she is just a young child. Her mother had just given birth to her youngest brother, Moses, and during this time in history, a decree had been established that demanded all newborn Hebrew males must be killed.

It was during this era of her life that Miriam watched her parents strong faith as they hid the newborn Moses for months and then, when they could no longer keep his existence a secret, they came up with a plan to attempt to have the boy's life spared.

Miriam watched as her mother coated a papyrus basket with tar and pitch to waterproof it. Then, she bundled up her baby boy and placed him inside the basket and hid it in the reds along the bank of the Nile River. Miriam stayed to see what would happen to her baby brother (Exodus 2:1-4).

Not long after Moses was placed in the Nile River, the Pharaoh's daughter went to the river to bathe. It was then that she saw the basket and sent her slave girl to get it. When she opened the basked and saw baby Moses inside, she decided to keep him and raise him as her own.

Miriam still hadn't stopped watching, so when she saw what the Pharaoh's daughter did she ran over and offered to help find a Hebrew woman to nurse the baby for her. She ran to her mother to tell her the news, and Moses' very own mother was then compensated to nurse and care for him until he was weaned.

Even at a young age, Miriam was a leader. She knew when to follow, when to initiate, and later we learned she knew exactly when to pray. So, if ever you are looking for a female model of a leader, God shows you in Miriam one of His very special women of faith. As the Bible explains, “All the women went out after her.” Miriam faithfully followed and assisted her two brothers, Aaron and Moses, as they led God’s people to freedom. As a prophetess and a pray-er, Miriam was filled with the Holy Spirit, who inspired her words. Moved by God’s miraculous defeat of the Egyptian army in the midst of the Red Sea, Miriam “took the timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances.” (See Micah 6:4; Exodus 15:20.)

May God’s Spirit at work in you and the example of Miriam encourage and inspire you to love and serve the women in your church as you pray about leadership. And always remember, the young girls who surround you are always looking up to you. They will be our future leaders someday, so model leadership and teach them well.

LEADERSHIP

If leading other women is one of the desires of your heart, or if leadership is something others are asking of you, consider a few principles drawn from J. Oswald Sanders’s classic book, Spiritual Leadership.

A leader is a follower—The adage is true that to be a leader you must first be a follower. Leadership is a discipline, and it is in the process of being a faithful follower that you gain the discipline necessary for effective leadership.
A leader is a pray-er—Prayer brings to leadership the power and energy of the Holy Spirit. Missionary and leader Hudson Taylor was convinced that “it is possible to move [others], through God, by prayer alone.”
A leader is an initiator—It is only the authentic leader who is willing to take risks and move out courageously as “venturesomeness” is applied to vision. (Drawn from J. Oswald Sanders, , Chicago: Moody Press, 1967).

RESPOND:

God, please transform my family by transforming me.Speak to me through Your Word, through Your Spirit, and through godly people.Make me the parent my family needs. Amen.

RENEWING RESOURCES:

A Leader After God’s Own Heart looks at the biblical life of Nehemiah, who provides an outstanding example of leadership you can follow.

REFLECT:

The best way you can help lead your family is to make sure you are growing spiritually. This growth will give you the wisdom and strength you need for leading your children.

REMEMBER:

Find role models to emulate, and be a role model to emulate. “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17 niv).

A Study on the Character of Moses

God’s servant, Moses, was called by God to lead His people, about 2 million of them, out of bondage and out of Egypt (Exodus 3:1-22). It started when he was tending to his father-in-law’s sheep in Midian. He led the sheep out to the desert to Mount Horeb (also known as Mount Sinai), and he encountered a bush that was burning yet not consumed by the fire. As Moses turned to see what was going on, God called to him from the bush. God told Moses to take off his sandals because he was standing on holy ground. He then explained to Moses that He’d heard the cries of the people of Israel, who were in bondage in Egypt, and that He would use Moses to confront Pharaoh and bring His people out of Egypt.

Moses didn’t believe he was worthy of God using him for such a mission. In response to God’s request, He asked Him, “Who am I? Why would You send me to go before Pharaoh? And what makes You think I could bring the children of Israel out of Egypt? No, God. You’ve got the wrong guy!” (See Exodus 3:11).

God told Moses that He would be with him, but Moses remained unconvinced that he was the right man for the job, even after God provided him with miracles to confirm to the people that God had sent him. Moses wanted God to send someone else, but God refused, allowing only Aaron, Moses’ brother, to go with him. Eventually, Moses complied and prepared to leave Midian to go to Egypt. (See Exodus 3:1-21.)

Moses doubted himself and didn’t immediately put his faith in God. He is among the most prominent biblical figures in both the New and Old Testament. His name means “drawn out.” His name is fitting since he was “drawn out” of the water after his mother placed him there to save his life, and it also signified how he would later “draw out” God’s people from Egypt. He may have neglected to put his faith in the right place initially, but Moses is of the spiritual giants of the Bible.

His faith in God became so deep that he is the man mentioned in Hebrews 11, the faith chapter. Though it didn’t start that way, he eventually lived a godly and righteous life.

We learn in Number 12:3 that Moses is a humble man. This is telling about his character since we know that he was raised as a prince of Egypt. For the first forty years of his life, he reaped the benefits and lived as a part of the royal family. The Bible also tells us in Acts 7:20 that God blessed Moses with good looks and favor in the sight of men. Yet, he was still humble.

Moses found confidence in God, not himself. That allowed him to be the vessel for God’s chosen leader. But he wasn’t perfect. We know that as we read through his story. Yes, even God’s chosen leaders make mistakes. But Moses had a close friendship with God.

There are at least two verses that speak of this friendship:

“So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.” (Exodus 33:11)

“But since then there has not arisen in Israel a prophet like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face” (Deuteronomy 34:10).

If the same words were used to describe you, how would that make you feel? Would you remain humble? Moses did. That humility brought him even closer to the Father. What if Moses hadn’t humbled himself and drawn closer to God? Perhaps God would have found someone else, and Moses would have lost the blessing. Follow Moses’ example: Humble yourself. Draw near to the Father. Accept your calling. You’ll be glad you did!

RESPOND:

Lord, as I read about the humility and courage of Moses, I am humbled to the core. Please help me to choose to wrap myself in the garment of humility, to focus not on myself but on others, to consider others as better than myself. Draw me close to you and may I be so blessed to be called your friend. Amen.

RENEWING RESOURCES:

A Leader After God’s Own Heart looks at the biblical life of Nehemiah, who provides an outstanding example of leadership you can follow.

REFLECT:

Humility is not passive resignation. And it’s not the fine art of belittling yourself or others. It comes from knowing Christ and seeking a deeper relationship with Him.

REMEMBER:

Moses found confidence in God, not himself. That allowed him to be the vessel for God’s chosen leader.

Studying the Word in Context and Perspective

The Word of God is the original omniscient, third-person point of view, kind of story. God, Himself, is the main character. A book like this differs from any other in that we can’t possibly try to put ourselves in God’s mindset to understand what we’re reading. After all, Isaiah 55:8 tells us that his thoughts are not our thoughts and his ways are not our ways. With that in mind, how can we ever fully comprehend His Word?

“As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.” 1 John 2:27

I don’t know about you, but it comforts me and assures me that the Bible is always relevant to my challenges as a woman. It is filled—and overflowing!—with God’s wisdom and 100 percent guaranteed guidance. He is by your side as your teacher and Helper. With the assurance of God’s guiding hand, you’ll be well on your way and more confident as you study His Word.

I love that God assured believers He would provide them with a “Helper,” the Holy Spirit. Jesus, himself, first mentioned the promised Helper to His disciples not long after He told them He would soon leave. They were distraught by the news, so to encour­age them, He said, “It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart I will send Him to you” (John 16:7).

The Holy Spirit was sent to guide, direct, and motivate them just as the Son of God had when He was physically present here on this earth. As a final assurance that He wasn’t leaving the disciples without the resources they needed to serve Him, Jesus promised, “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you” (Acts 1:8).

Isn’t that wonderful! You have a helper! Like Jesus’ early fol­lowers, you have the same Helper and power that transformed the uncertain and confused followers of Christ into emboldened missionaries of the Gospel. And He will teach the Gospel to you himself through the Holy Spirit.

Always ask the Holy Spirit to give you insight, wisdom, and revelation during your study time.
Thank Him when you get that burst of joy in your spirit because you finally fully understand a portion of His Word.
Take time to meditate on what you’ve learned and let it become a part of you.

When studying His Holy Word, another technique I use is to put myself in the shoes, or sandals, of the many characters I’m reading about. This causes me to consider the scenery, atmosphere, time, customs, linguistic, cultural, historical, and religious layers. These are all things that played a significant role in the stories.

The omniscient, third-person point of view perspective in the Bible is not merely a literary device. It allows us to have the “God perspective” on life. The Bible, when understood, provides life-changing insight. As you read with the help of the Holy Spirit, you are transformed and become more like Him. This is how you live out Christ’s righteous charac­ter.

Because we’re equipped with this power, it allows us to live virtuously. We can live with confidence and without fear. This is how we can have a positive impact on others. This is how we can love Jesus and glorify Him by being pure and excellent in all our ways.

RESPOND:

Father, I know you never ask us to do something without providing what we need to do it. I thank you that with the help of the Holy Spirit, I can live as a man or woman after God’s own heart. I yield my life fully to the Spirit and know it will produce fruit that is consistent with being a new creature—a child of God. Please open my eyes and ears as I read your Holy Word. In Jesus' name. Amen

RENEWING RESOURCES:

A Woman After God’s Own Heart Bible by Elizabeth George is filled with this devotion and 364 other short devotions to draw you to God’s Word and give you hope, wisdom, and understanding.

REFLECT:

When studying His Word, what techniques do you use to truly understand? How you can take it a step further?

REMEMBER:

The omniscient, third-person point of view perspective in the Bible is not merely a literary device. It allows us to have the “God perspective” on life.

Getting into God’s Word

 "We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure." Hebrews 6:19

Each new year we are inspired to greater challenges and goals, but we always aspire to read through the entire Bible. This practice has helped us to see the big picture of God’s Word instead of focusing on just one passage or reading the same books over and over. It also means that we don’t unintentionally skip over any parts. This has been a transforming tradition for us for many, many years and it still amazes me that we learn something new and profound with every read through.

I know many of you have young children and may work or homeschool. Time is something that we all believe we need more of. Though that would be wonderful, is it really necessary? Just think of how many minutes you spend doing things that don’t offer you hope and renewal? I have been thinking about this quite often lately, so I did some math. I even made a chart for you.

Will you spend 12 minutes a day alongside us as we read through God's Word in 2021?

By following us on social media, (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and/or Pinterest), you’ll receive daily hope and inspiration as we walk through God’s promises, one day at a time. Hope Daily 2021 is a Bible reading plan that will take us through the entire Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, in one year. We’ve designed an easy to follow Bible in a Year Printable Download for you to use as we embark on this journey together.

The Importance of Quiet Time with God

Can you grasp why making a choice to spend time with God in His Word is so important? Getting into the Bible and having quiet time alone with God causes you to grow - to grow in the knowledge of Him, which then helps you grow in making better choices and becoming more like Jesus. How does this happen? It’s an inside job!

The Bible actually changes your heart.

We have contact with the Father through our spirit. It is our spirit that will enter eternity, and it requires fuel and nourishment. It is then that we become alive in Christ and aware of God’s will for our lives.

Encouragement from the Bible

Jesus said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” Matthew 4:4. He also says, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” John 6:63.

So what can you do to make sure you don’t miss out on the miracle of a spiritual makeover every single day? Here are a few steps you can take to help you keep growing in your love for God’s Word and your understanding of the Bible. Every time you take these steps, you are making a choice to make time with God a priority—your Number One priority!

Read the Bible.

Even if you only take twenty minutes a day and learn how to read your Bible, it will make a significant impact on your life. Read it to yourself, read it out loud, read it line by line, write it down, or listen to it on your phone or computer. One of our favorite ways to accomplish this is by reading through the Bible in a year.

Study the Bible.

This is yet another way to dig deeper into your Bible. There are many creative ways to study the Bible. You can use the highlight and note method, Bible journaling, inductive studies, word studies, or use some of our Bible study printables.

Desire the Bible.

You already know from daily first-hand experience the importance of physical food. Well, you need to view the spiritual food of the Bible as having that same importance…only greater! As Job declared, “I have treasured the words of His mouth [God’s teaching] more than my daily bread” (Job 23:12).

God’s Word is full of the instruction that we need to transform our lives into one of holy righteousness. The Bible is our guide and teaches us how to follow Christ in truth. It is full of testimonies and experiences from the Father His Son, great kings and queens, prophets, disciples, and ordinary people who sacrificed all to walk in His footsteps. There isn’t a better teacher than what we have in the Word of God.

RESPOND:

Lord, my heart’s desire is to fill my mind with Your Word. I want to be able to pull up Your truths and promises in a split second, to be able to comfort my soul when needed and to speak a word in season to those who are weary. Amen. ****

RENEWING RESOURCES:

 

A Woman After God’s Own Heart Bible with Elizabeth George – This Bible includes a daily one-year reading plan, 365 daily devotions, and so much more! Pick up this Bible for yourself or as a gift for a loved one!

 

REFLECT:

To help you get started, we’ve compiled One Word Themes for All the Books of the Bible for you. We pray this is a helpful study aid that draws your heart closer to God’s!

REMEMBER:

Immerse yourself in Scripture. And pray as you read. Commit yourself afresh to spiritual growth, inner beauty, and the practice of Bible reading.

Redeeming the Time

 

Time Management

Have you thought much about time? The 24 hours, the 1,440 minutes of your each and every day? Didn’t it seem that time couldn’t go fast enough for the next milestone you were anticipating during the years of youth?

But, I am sure you, like me, now find that time has accelerated to warp speed. I feel like it’s whizzing by so fast that I’m breathless and wrung out, just trying to hold on to all that’s taking place around me. You always want to be sure you're making your time count.

How to Spend Time Wisely

Now, obviously, all this talk of time slowing down or speeding up is only a perception. There are principles regarding the reality of time that I’ve come to realize over the years:

Time is measured out to each person each day in the same amount.
Time can never be stored for future use.
Time happens only once and then is gone forever.
Time is something that is always in short supply.
Time, when managed and appropriately focused, produces significant results.
Time is a commodity that can either be redeemed or squandered.

Time is a perishable commodity. And with this commodity, you have only two choices. You can let it slip through your fingers, wasting it. Or there is the Bible’s option: You can redeem it.

Redeeming the Time

This idea of redeeming time is found in Ephesians 5:15-16: “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” Friend, in these few verses, we are exposed to the ultimate wisdom needed to use our time for the most significant purpose and impact:

Guard Your Walk with Jesus

Paul warns believers to “See then that you walk circumspectly” (verse 15). The word “circumspectly” is not familiar to most vocabularies, and it basically means being careful, calculated, or, as the verse says, “wise.” The secret of making the most of each day is to train yourself to have foresight about what’s ahead or around the next corner. This kind of preparation will help steer your choices throughout your day and enable you to use your time for profitable results.

Pray About Using Your Time Wisely

Paul tells us to think and act “not as fools.” A foolish woman takes off in all directions at once. She has no plan. She hasn’t thought about the day, about how God wants her to live out His will.

So, she doesn’t make the most of her time. She squanders it, kills it, and has little of value to show for her day. It’s a good idea to pray each morning, “Lord, I don’t want to be a fool today. Help me to remember how important my time is today.”

Use Your Time to Serve Others

God even supplies the basis for redeeming your time. He says it’s necessary to do this because “the days are evil.” You are to walk wisely and with care because of the evil days we live in. Many are living in sin, and the time is short. So God wants you to make full use of your time to serve as many as possible and warn others.

Important things take time, and when you misuse time through lost opportunities, that time can never be regained; those golden minutes with their golden opportunities are gone forever. We must take steps to increase Godly wisdom. For that, God is cautioning you to pray, “Oh, Lord! Please help me to use my time wisely — just for today.” Then pray this again every day!

RESPOND: Make No Decision Without Prayer

God, how many times have I had to suffer the negative consequences of foolish, rushed choices? I know You are always available to help me, and yet I fail to seek Your wisdom in prayer.

Write this concept on the tablet of my heart: Make no decision without prayer. Amen.

RENEWING CHRISTIAN RESOURCES:

You will experience peace, order, and joy when you follow God's guidelines for every area of your life, and best of all, you will become a woman after His heart!

Elizabeth George shares God's Word and woman-to-woman practical wisdom on how you can pursue God's priorities in A Woman After God’s Own Heart.

REFLECT ON GOD'S WORD:

What other time-wasters do you need to seek God’s help in removing from your day?

REMEMBER:

Don’t forget that some activities feel like time wasters but are actually valuable service to your family and others.

The Servant Shall Be Exalted

Isaiah is considered among the greatest of the Old Testament prophets because of his many predictions of the Messiah. For instance, Christmas is the time when we celebrate the birth of our savior, so you’ve probably heard this one during the Christmas season:

For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6).

What most people don’t notice is that Isaiah uses the word servant several times to describe the nature of Jesus’ earthly ministry. For example, He wrote, “Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights!” and “Behold, My Servant… shall be exalted and extolled and be very high” (42:1; 52:13).

Jesus was the son of God, yet he was the ultimate servant. He is the perfect example of a heart that serves. Here is one of my favorite verses about our Lord:

“The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:28

One thing that touches my heart about this truth is that it is written in the book of Matthew. And Matthew is the Gospel that also most exalts Jesus, as Messiah, the King! And yet we read that serving was a vital quality in King Jesus’ life—a priority and a way of life for Him.

The Bible tells us that Jesus, very early in His ministry, was “tempted by the devil” (Matthew 4:1-11). With each temptation, Jesus resisted Satan by quoting Scripture. Satan’s last enticement was a trade-off of power and glory if Jesus would fall down and worship Satan. Jesus replied to the devil, “You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve”(verse 10).

For most women, the role of serving others is a given. If you’re married, you have a husband to serve and care for. If you have children, well, add them to your list of those whom you serve. And don’t forget your parents and in-laws… and on and on your list goes!

It’s easy to get distracted in the course of helping others. But if you’re not careful, your service can become focused on people. Then one day, you realize you’ve forgotten about your call to serve God. Jesus spoke to this priority when He said, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment” (22:37-38). Lov­ing and serving God first is the most important thing a Christian can do.

As you consider the character quality of service, give praise to God that Jesus, the Messiah, our Precious Savior of the World, came first as a lowly servant. Then open your heart and behold how the greatest man—and servant—who ever lived modeled what it means to serve and sacrifice.

Something to Consider:

RESPOND:

Dear Lord, thank You for fulfilling Your plan of redemption for the world. Jesus is the best gift for all time. Amen.

RENEWING RESOURCES:

Read A Woman Who Reflects the Heart of Jesus for more insight and encouragement in choosing to be a woman of God.

REFLECT:

Take time to memorize Isaiah 9:6 over this month: “For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

REMEMBER:

As a believer in Christ, each and every day gives an opportunity to love the Lord with all your heart. But, especially in these weeks before Christmas, take time one more to read the story of His servant-hood and sacrifice for you in Luke 22, 23, 24.

Setting Goals Each New Year

 

Setting Goals to Fulfill Your God-Given Purpose

With New Years’ right around the corner, we’ll likely be hearing more and more about setting goals. Or, resolutions as some people call them. If you're living a Christ-centered life, creating goals provides an opportunity for specific measurement, and setting specific goals helps you move forward in the direction you want to go.

Smart Goals

With that in mind, when it comes to making goals for yourself, stay away from anything generic or vague. For example, the goal “to be a godly woman” or “to walk with God” is honorable but hard to measure. It’s far more beneficial to be specific.

Answer the question, “What does a godly woman do?” Then, let your answer give you specific and measurable behaviors like Bible study and prayer time. Write down steps you can actually take toward those behaviors and mark them off as you accomplish them.

Steps to Achieve Goals

I’m often asked about my writing, including questions like “How do you do it?” and “What must I do to write a book?” My answer is always the same. I have a goal to write five pages each day. Now that’s specific. There’s nothing vague about it. And because it’s measurable, I know when I’ve achieved it.

I wasn’t always this specific and disciplined in my goal-setting. There were times when I was aimless in many areas of life. But, today I can’t imagine a day (or a life) without goals. Goals give me a target. As I rise each morning and take aim at my day, the arrow I shoot may wobble and weave, but at least it’s in flight and headed some­where. Just as goals help us in the day to day, goals are also important when it comes to our spiritual growth.

How to Achieve Goals Successfully

It’s definitely true that if you aim at noth­ing, you’ll hit it every time.

When I was a mom with preschool­ers, I aimed at reading one book a year. I asked myself, “If I could read only one book this year, what would it be?” I read a suggested parenting book that helped me deter­mine the road I wanted our family to head down. I read it in bits and pieces, remembering that something is better than nothing. I set a goal and reached it.

And do you know what? That one book I set out to read went straight into my heart and my life. As time and years went by, my list of books with Christian values grew to include various other titles, all of which have contributed to my personal and spiritual growth and to my ministry to others.

Goals Provide Encouragement

When a week, or month, or year is over, do you ever wonder, “Wow, what did I do? Where did it go?”

I was able to answer this question year after year by maintaining a planner. Of course, it compartmentalized my goals, to-do lists, and plans for the future, but it also provided me with another beneficial feature: I could use it as a journal to record what happened each day.

Keeping a Journal to Reach Your Goals

The journaling aspect isn’t like what I would do as a young girl when I started off each passage with, “Dear Diary.” Instead, if we had a visitor that day, I received a revelation during quiet time, one of my children hit a milestone, or someone had a prayer request, I could journal it on the day it occurred and look back on it for reference in the future. This was a turning point for me.

When I wrote down specific, measurable goals and kept track of progress in my planner, I could see firsthand the growth that had taken place. By reviewing the notes in my planner, I knew the number of books I’d read, the vari­ety of classes and seminars I’d taken, the women I’d shared God’s truth with, the number of family reunions and birthdays celebrated, and even the number of pounds I lost.

The Value of Goals

That's the value of goals, as you keep track daily of your efforts and God’s grace, you will be able to observe the progress made and give God thanks. And the power of gratitude, it can't be measured. It multiplies too rapidly. Try it!

RESPOND:

Lord, guide me as I assess my goals today. Help me set constructive goals, prioritize them appropriately, and submit them to Your leadership. May my goals lead me to my highest goal of knowing You better each day. Amen.

RENEWING RESOURCES:

 

Creating a Beautiful Life by Elizabeth George —This book with a built-in Study Guide prepares you to create a more beautiful and productive life. Click here to view this helpful Bible Study.

 

REFLECT:

What accomplished goad have you been able to celebrate in your life? Or, have you’ve been stirred to set a new goal today? Share here so we can celebrate and encourage one another toward God’s good goals.

REMEMBER:

Goals help you to have an impact — when you achieve them, you’ll have grown as a person and hopefully others will benefit from your efforts.

When Your Faith Has the Flu

Often, the holiday rush can bring on a cold that slows us down during one of the busiest times of the year. I’m sure you know how limited you are when you are ill — when you aren’t functioning at your best. While I haven’t found a cure for the common cold, I have learned a remedy for a faith with the flu. Similar to the symptoms of a cold, you can sometimes feel limited in your faith.

I once spent time memorizing Philippians 4:8, knowing that it was a guideline for the kinds of thoughts God desired to occupy my mind. I found myself focusing on the rote memorization of the eight elements in the verse rather than the verse’s message. While there are significant benefits to memorizing Scripture, in this case, I missed some important details.

“Whatsoever things are true…honest…just…pure…lovely…whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” Philippians 4:8

I realized that I hadn’t taken much time to consider each component separately. So, I decided to take the verse apart piece by piece. And that first piece stopped me in my tracks and changed the trajectory of my life. I said out loud, “whatsoever things are true, think on these things.” I pondered, “What does true mean?” And my answer? True means truth…the truth of Scripture. And true means the truth as opposed to lies. But, true also means real, because what is true is what is real. We must learn how to think true thoughts.

In just eight words, I had a break­through—God did not want me to spend my precious time and equally precious mental energy, thinking on things that are not true or real. It was also then that I realized how many of my thoughts were not based on the truth — certainly not based on the truth of Scripture, and many not even reflective of the reality of my circumstances. I found that many of my thoughts were based on fears, assumptions, and lies. No wonder that on so many days, I felt useless, tired, and depressed.

Take it from me, from that day on, I learned that blessings of God's Word in your heart abound when you and I think about what is true and real. And one of those blessings is strength for daily life—a strength that includes energy, health, vitality, and purpose. God calls this abundant life (John 10:10). Let me explain.

When you aren’t functioning according to what is real, it’s like trying to do something when you have a fever or the flu. Even though you force yourself to fulfill your responsibilities, something is missing. Your body’s ability and the demands of each task are out of sync! Sure, you go ahead and do your work, but there is little, if any, enthusiasm. And many times, your work is half done or done poorly. Why? Because of poor physical health…which means less energy…and even less performance.

The same thing happens in the spiritual realm. Like a virus, your thoughts can drain your energy and cripple your usefulness. But, praise God, the opposite is also true. Your thoughts can be a source of strength. When you think about the powerful truths of Scripture, God uses His Word to change your way of thinking. And one positive and much-needed result is that you are strengthened and energized for daily life by thinking on the truth—on what is true and real.

RESPOND:

Lord, I need a major change in the area of my thoughts. Thank You for Your instruction and for pointing out the many positive, gracious, godly “things” You desire me to “think on.” Help me renew my mind according to Your Word. Amen.

RENEWING RESOURCES:

Breaking the Worry Habit goes beyond the simple “just pray and give your troubles to the Lord,” and it offers practical step-by-step advice to help you develop trust in the Lord and take steps to keep worry and runaway fear in check.

REFLECT:

Have you ever taken a day and cataloged how many thoughts you have that are based on false assumptions, fears, imaginings, or fantasy?

REMEMBER:

Take every thought captive and command it to line up with the truth of God's Word!