Power of a Focused Life, part 3

Power of a Focused Life

Okay, hopefully, you have written a life vision.  Remember, your vision is your primary purpose in life.   Read your life's vision on a regular basis.  Allow it to point you in the direction that YOU want to be heading. Many of my ideas came from Mike Bickel, head of IHOP. I do not follow him but I read a sermon that he preached on this topic.

Next, you have listed your goals in the following areas:

• Spiritual
• Relationships
• Vocation
• Ministry
• Economical
• Physical

Now what?  Over the years of teaching school, mostly 8th graders, I see a clear picture of how hard it is to keep your goals. Every student I have ever taught, wants to do well in school. Their goal is an A or B in math this year. What is the problem?  They have a wonderful goal. They just do not know how to reach a goal.

I am making an assumption here that all of my blog readers know how to write goals.  Google "goal setting" and there are over 26 million results!  Basically, you need to make sure that your goals are written down, specific as possible, measurable in some way and review them often.  Let me give an example.  In the area of ministry, I wrote down several specific things that I wanted to do.

1. Pray every Monday for our Single Adult Sunday School class.
2. Choose 2 or 3 girls to mentor.
3. Weekly text to class members.
4. Pray for another couple to help serve with us.
5. Write a blog exclusively for our class.
6. Invite class members over on a monthly basis and cook a meal for them.

Interestingly enough, these were our goals for our last two Sunday School classes that we ministered to! They work for any group that God has put us in.

Your goals will be changing.  They should be organic, growing and most of all...a little over your head. Do not set goals that can be done without the power of the Holy Spirit.  I may not accomplish all of these goals in this year. They are a work in progress.  However, if I accomplished even 1 or 2 of them:):):)

Finish working on your goals this week.  The next step is to order your time.  Hear me on this.  I do not want this to be interpreted as filing up every minute of every day with a project.  Rest, renewal,  and relaxation should and must be put into our schedule.  But I do believe that most of us are not redeeming the day.  God wants you to have clarity and manage your waking hours. How are you investing the 168 hours that God gave you each week? We must be a faithful steward of time, as well as money.

I will blog next time on the topic on time management. Take step one, if you have not already done so!  Write a vision statement for your life.  Then go back and set goals in the different areas of your life.  Next, make your goals more specific. Try to find scripture verses to back up your goals.

The only person that would not want you to do this activity is Satan. He knows if he can get you to make excuses and procrastinate, you will feel regret and shame that you are wasting your life. Be aware of the fact that Jesus wants just the opposite.

The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. (John 10:10 NLT)