Leadership - Assess and Keep Going
The end of the first half of the year (June 30) is a good time to assess our progress and refocus. There are both long-term eternal values and the goals that get us there. You’ll recall that just a little while ago, we made goals for the year. It's a good time to assess.
How’s the weight? Diet? The work goals? Answers to prayer? Spiritual growth? Obedience to Christ? Did you break out of old ruts as planned and hoped? On track with family and community responsibilities? Have you invested as intended? Where’s your bank account at? Debt down or eliminated? Does your spending reflect heavenly treasure? What about church? Are you engaged in the church community as you planned to be for 2025? Mentoring well? Following well?
I’m 54. I graduated from law school in 1996, and I have had a long, varied, and good career. I still struggle with motivation. I know without a doubt that God is real. He answers prayers. And He disciplines. He expects us to grow, to plan, and to assess. At every stage of our lives, we have to be motivated and focused on godly values. Each of us is unique. The elbow is different from the finger, but both are very close in terms of oxygen flow. Despite our uniqueness, our lifeblood is Jesus. Our core values must be godly, aligned with what pleases God.
I expect we share much. You and I both want freedom, self-respect, godly responsibilities, qualification as a mature Christian leader, mature love, wisdom, and salvation in Jesus Christ. And we need the discipline and intentionality to put into practice godly behavior that gets us to our godly goals that reflect His character. This includes all of the oft quoted values (love, joy, peace…), but we need to really think about and assess if we are really being loving, reliable, capable, broad-minded, fair, just, kind, honest, responsible, self-controlled, ambitious for God, forgiving, and courageous. I encourage you today to take a break after church and ponder these things as we sit at the halfway point of the year. And for many of us, we are past the halfway point of life.
What drives us? What are our motives? Do we have pure hearts? Are we driven by godly core values and behavior that please God? Do we honor and cooperate daily with the Spirit of Jesus Christ? Is our ambition to honor and be bold for Christ? Do we daily prove His critics right by our behavior and our selfishness, and our sin? Are we making progress by confessing our sins to each other and growing in Christ?
I truly hope and believe that we are maturing. I know that we are despite our setbacks and despite suffering. Yes, life is hard. Yes, we can feel unappreciated, disrespected, and unwelcome. But God is for us, and He wants us to achieve all the fruitful work we are capable of producing. I believe God is not done with us yet. Keep going! Keep fighting!
Men, certain things are out of our control. Obviously. But we can plan for and execute well today. We choose what to eat and drink, how to spend our time, and how we speak and act. We also choose our attitude and our actions. The Bible says, “Choose a good reputation over great riches; being held in high esteem is better than silver or gold” (Proverbs 22:1). Amen!
God is our audience. Aim not to please men, but God. Don't worry about the things we can’t control. Rather, let's use our God-given ability of foresight to plan well, take precautions, and work hard to achieve for God.
Reset. Refocus. Rest. And embark. Let’s be conquerors for Christ. Time is short. Let’s be humble this week. Let's humbly ask Jesus for what we need. Truly fear Jesus, for He loves us, and with obedience to Him we will prove His critics wrong. God alone gives riches, honor, and long life. Let’s make God the focus of our hearts. And may what God holds dear be what we hold dear. Lord Jesus, please richly bless my family and friends in Christ this week. Amen.
Chihuly Art in Seattle last week.
Comments