Many people make New Year’s resolution of things they
want to change or do differently in the present year. Most people fizzle out in a month or two and
never see the changes they desired. Statistics
compiled by University of Scranton. Journal of Clinical Psychology verify it.
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News
Years Resolution Statistics
|
Data
|
|
Percent of Americans who usually make New Year’s Resolutions
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45%
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Percent of Americans who infrequently make New Year’s Resolutions
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17%
|
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Percent of Americans who absolutely never make New Year’s Resolutions
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38%
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Percent of people who are successful in achieving
their resolution
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8%
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Percent who have infrequent success
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49%
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Percent who never succeed and fail on their
resolution each year
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24%
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It is good and important to set goals for things you
desire to change but seeing them realized takes a level of dedication that many
seem to lose over a short time. It could
be that the goals were too difficult to achieve, unrealistic to your situation
or things changed making it not possible to achieve them. The goal may also have been something that
really was not in your heart to achieve.
It looked good on paper but in reality you did not have it in your heart
to exert the time and energy to achieve it.
Inspiration
As you begin
the New Year it is important that you have some concrete goals you want to
achieve. Goals emanate from the God given inspiration of a vision or dream you
have about your life and purpose. They
flow out of the values you have and what is most important to you and what you
believe God is calling you to do. Once
you know who you are, what your talents and interests are and what you believe
God has called you to do, you can begin to dream, cast a vision and set goals
that will guide in the process.
The story of Nehemiah is often used to give advice in
pursing visions and goals.
2 one
of my brothers, Hanani, came with certain men from Judah; and I asked them
about the Jews that survived, those who had escaped the captivity, and about Jerusalem.
3 They replied, “The survivors there in the province who
escaped captivity are in great trouble and shame; the wall of Jerusalem is
broken down, and its gates have been destroyed by fire.” 4 When I heard these words I
sat down and wept, and mourned for days, fasting and praying before the God of
heaven. Neh. 1.2-3
When he heard of the devastation of Jerusalem and the
condition of the people who lived there, his heart was moved. This was the inspiration he needed to begin
to envision a new Jerusalem by rebuilding the city and rebuilding the nation. He confirmed this vision in prayer and began
to work toward achieving it. Vision and goals have to flow out or a heart
desire in line with God’s call.
Establishing goals help you in many ways.
- They help you stay focused on what is important.
- You can make better decisions about the use of your time, money and energy when you know what is valuable to you and what you are willing to sacrifice to achieve it.
- Goals help you be accountable for how you use your time and talents.
- You can evaluate your progress toward a concrete goal.
- Goals also build confidence when you see that you are on the path to achieving them and they are a cause for celebration when you do accomplish them.
12 Teach us to
number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom (Ps 90.12)
We too need the same attitude. We have to have a heart of wisdom to know
what we are called to do and accomplish for the Lord.
So what are the areas of your life that you want to
see growth or change in this year? What
are the things that are most important to you and are worthy of your time and
energy? Is there an area of your life
you have always wanted to uncover, discover and develop? Perhaps an area that
has been hidden but now revealed that you want to explore and take a step of
faith to pursue?
One of the TV programs that has spread to many
countries is “American Idol.” This is an
opportunity for people with a special talent to be recognized and pursue their
dreams. I was watching some videos of
the 2012 Britain’s God Talent contest that were pretty incredible. One was about a couple of singers appearing
at their first audition. Maybe you have seen it but it is worth seeing again. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UoGMdf7lek
Undiscovered talent, unrealized potential is in each
of us created in God’s image and likeness. Sometimes we just need someone else
to see it and encourage us to pursue it.
What area or
areas to you want to gain expertise? Have
you taken time to look at where you are and what you want to achieve in the
time God has given you? Put it in writing and keep it where you can frequently
refer to it. The University of Scranton
report stated:
“People who explicitly make resolutions are 10 times
more likely to attain their goals than people who don’t explicitly make
resolutions.”
If you have not done this step I encourage you to do
it sooner than later. Pick out a couple
areas that are very important to you and begin there. A long list of resolutions may not work for
you so keep it to a few that are most important to you. You may not be good at many things but you
can be good at one thing if you put the time needed and avail yourself to the
resources, training and teaching that are needed to grow in that area. I read a comment in an article in the NY
Times the other day in which the author quoted another person who said, “If you
are going to be good at one thing, be good at lying because then you will be
good at everything!” Definitely not a
worthwhile goal but it does demonstrate a focused goal.
Preparation
Once you know what you want, have defined it as best
as you can through a written goal the next step is to take the risks involved
in pursuing it. You can minimize your
risks by proper planning. Risk taking does not mean you move forward without
making plans and calculations of what you need.
You need to be prepared and not just abandon it all to chase after a
dream, vision or goal. Your steps need
to be ordered and that will take thoughtful, honest planning to help minimize
the risks and maximize your success. One
of the exercises we had our DTS students do at the end of the 5 months was to
identify areas in their spiritual lives that they wanted to gain more
knowledge, experience, training or education.
After identifying the area they were to write a goal and objectives
clarifying what they wanted to accomplish. Then they listed the resources that
they would need to contact, purchase, use, make a list of people and mentors who
could help them attain the skills or knowledge they desired.
In Nehemiah’s story he knew what he needed to be able
to rebuild the wall and he made specific requests of the King to be able to get
time off, people to join him, protection in the journey and the building
materials he needed.
4 Then the king
said to me, “What do you request?” So I prayed to the God of heaven. 5 Then
I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found
favor with you, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city of my ancestors’
graves, so that I may rebuild it.” 6 The king said to me (the
queen also was sitting beside him), “How long will you be gone, and when will
you return?” So it pleased the king to send me, and I set him a date. 7 Then
I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, let letters be given me to the
governors of the province Beyond the River, that they may grant me passage
until I arrive in Judah; 8 and a letter to Asaph, the keeper of
the king’s forest, directing him to give me timber to make beams for the gates
of the temple fortress, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I
shall occupy.” And the king granted me what I asked, for the gracious hand of
my God was upon me. Neh. 2.4-8
There are many resources available today via the
internet that are free or very affordable.
There are seminars offered through ministry organizations, universities,
trade schools etc. that can help you gain what you have set as your goal. It may take some research on your part and it
may cost some money but it will be worth it.
Rick Warren has stated that if you want to make changes in your life you
will need a mentor or coach. Someone who
has gone before you to accomplish what you desire and can provide the help and
encouragement you will need. A mentor
can help you stay on task by holding you accountable for your progress. Break your goals into daily tasks that will
move you forward. There are apps you can
use to help you do this and they will remind you of what you need to do as well
as record what you have done. Many of us
need visual reminders to help us stay on track.
Others will find great help in sharing your goals with another person
who can check up on your progress.
Dedication
& Perspiration
The next step is to begin to work toward your goals
and stay at it until you have completed them.
This is where motivation, time management and hard work have to kick in
and stay kicked in until you have arrived at your goal.
Maintaining motivation to accomplish your goals will
always be a challenge and that is why you need the support of other
people. Connect with a few people who
are like you, working toward making changes in their lives, developing their
God given talents to make a difference in the world. Being with likeminded people will be a great
motivational factor in your life.
Nehemiah recruited likeminded people to go with him
and motivated them to do the work.
17 Then I said
to them, “You see the trouble we are in, how Jerusalem lies in ruins with its
gates burned. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, so that we may no
longer suffer disgrace.” 18 I told them that the hand of my God
had been gracious upon me, and also the words that the king had spoken to me.
Then they said, “Let us start building!” So they committed themselves to the
common good. Neh. 2.17-18
Keep the vision and goal in front of you all the time.
It will help keep you motivated to keep working until you achieve it. Also keep in mind the eternal value of what
you are doing, how what you want to accomplish fits into the bigger picture of
the work of the Kingdom of God. What you
are doing will have in influence on many people’s lives.
When Nehemiah was rebuilding the wall it was not just
for personal gain but he had in mind the generations that would follow that
would benefit from the work they were doing. When they were being threatened by
Sanballat and Tobiah, he spoke these encouraging words to them
14 After I looked
these things over, I stood up and said to the nobles and the officials and the
rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and
fight for your kin, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes.” Neh.
4.14
Walt Disney when Disney World was being designed understood
the importance of seeing the big picture.
He was advised by all the contractors to build the Disney castle
last. They had good reason behind their
recommendation, it would save a lot of money by waiting until all the roads,
water, electricity etc. were already in place before the construction
began. Walt listened to their advice and
he told them to build the castle first. The castle would be the show piece of
Disney World and he knew that if it was constructed first the workers would be
motivated to build the rest of the complex as they could see the castle every
day and how everything fit together. The
castle has become the Disney logo symbol known throughout the world.
To achieve your goal you will have to manage your time
and energy. One thing we all have equal
amounts of is time. What we do with it
is our decision. Making time available
is also required and this means you will have to eliminate some things from
your life that are time wasters or are not moving you forward.
·
It could be you need to be more
organized in your work area so you are not wasting time looking for things that
you have failed to put in their proper place.
·
It could be eliminating relationships
that are not going anywhere or are holding you back and are taking an emotional
toll on your life.
·
It could be eliminating activities at work or
home that are not getting you where you want to go. Facebook, video games,
watching movies, recreational activities, phone calls, etc. have a place in our
lives but often they can become consuming and really be time wasters.
·
For some people learning to say NO is hard,
they do not want to offend others are may be more concerned about being a
people pleaser than a God pleaser.
People are generally task oriented or people oriented. The task oriented find it easier to say NO
while relationally oriented people find it more difficult. Finding the balance
is not easy but is necessary.
Nehemiah was faced with distractions that would take
away time dedicated to rebuilding the wall.
2 Sanballat and
Geshem sent to me, saying, “Come and let us meet together in one of the
villages in the plain of Ono.” But they intended to do me harm. 3 So
I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and I cannot come
down. Why should the work stop while I leave it to come down to you? Neh. 6.2-3
He knew it would be a waste of his time to meet with
these men and he refused to do it.
Once you have identified the time wasters and negative
activities in your life you have to make the decision to eliminate them. This will free you to spend time on the
things you have identified as more important.
It may be difficult to do but in time you will see the benefit as your
goals become a reality.
Most of us have a defined work day to accomplish what
is expected of us. The challenge is how
we spend our off time, how are we using it to achieve the things that we have
desired. I went to a teacher workshop
years ago and still remember a piece of advice given to us by Carol Kent. She
stated that if you are willing to spend one hour a day, five days a week
studying, learning and practicing one thing, in five years you will be
considered an expert in that area.
Along with eliminating nonproductive activities you
also have to guard against taking on new activities that are also going to take
away the time and energy you need to accomplish what you truly want in your
life. Adding more activities to your
schedule will not make life easier for you and you will either delay what you
want to accomplish or do it at a level that is less than your best.
Henry Cloud in his book,”9 Things a Leader Must Do”
uses what he calls the “cringe factor” to help determine whether he should
engage in a certain activity. When the
little voice inside of you says the following it is a good indication that you
should not pursue it.
“This doesn’t quite feel right.”
“I don’t feel comfortable doing this
or agreeing to this.”
“This not what I really want.”
“This violates and important value.”
“I am going to resent this for a
long time.”
“I wish this were not happening.”
King Solomon gave this advice, “A prudent man sees
danger and takes refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it.” Proverbs
22.3
The final aspect is simply a willingness to work hard
to achieve your dream. Very few things
in life come without sweat equity, hard work, at times failing and starting
over again but those who are willing give their best effort will receive the
reward of the satisfaction of accomplishing their goal. In a generation of people who have an
entitlement mentality and a take it easy attitude they will never know the joy
of giving your all to accomplish something of value that impacts other’s
lives. Many want to take short cuts,
find an easier way to get what they want but in the end they short change
themselves and miss out on all the growth that takes place in the process.
Nehemiah and the people worked hard to build the wall
to the half way mark.
6 So we rebuilt
the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all
their heart. Neh. 4.6
The entire wall was rebuilt in 52 days, an amazing
accomplishment.
15 So the wall
was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty-two days. 16 And
when all our enemies heard of it, all the nations around us were afraid and
fell greatly in their own esteem; for they perceived that this work had been
accomplished with the help of our God. Neh. 6.15-16
Their hard work was a testimony to the neighboring
nation and gave glory to God.
Paul said, 12 Not that I have already
obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my
own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Beloved, I do
not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting
what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I
press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ
Jesus. Phil 3.12-14
I believe Paul was a man of many goals that he
constantly pursued throughout his life.
His accomplishments were amazing and an inspiration to all believers of
what God can do in one person’s life who is willing to pursue the goal of the
high calling with all their heart.
I want to show one more video from the Britain’s Got
Talent contest. The group is called
“Attraction” and their performance rocked the house. This group worked very
hard to put together their performance that was done with excellence.
Our motivation is always to please the Lord and to do
it in a way that demonstrates hard work and excellence.
Celebration
As you progress toward your goals remember to take
time to celebrate your accomplishments.
If you are working with someone who is accomplishing their goals make
sure you do something to celebrate with them.
Positive reinforcement accomplishes much more that negative or no
reinforcement. Celebration is not a
matter of pride, showing how awesome you are but it should be a time of
thanksgiving to the Lord for the abilities you have been given and for the help
he has provided to move you toward the fulfillment of a God given dream or
goal. Graduation ceremonies are
important as they recognize the hard work that has been exerted to finish your
plans.
Nehemiah was not only concerned about rebuilding the
wall but also rebuilding the nation that had fallen away from God. In the rebuilding of the nation the people
were read the Law and they recognized how they had failed to keep it. They were saddened by their disobedience and
neglect. Instead of focusing on the
failures Nehemiah encouraged them to celebrate what God had done and what he
was doing among them to reform them as a nation.
9 And Nehemiah,
who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who
taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your
God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people wept when they heard the words
of the law. 10 Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat
and drink sweet wine and send portions of them to those for whom nothing is
prepared, for this day is holy to our Lord; and do not be grieved, for the joy
of the Lord is your strength.” 11 So the Levites stilled all
the people, saying, “Be quiet, for this day is holy; do not be grieved.” 12 And
all the people went their way to eat and drink and to send portions and to make
great rejoicing, because they had understood the words that were declared to
them. Neh. 8.9-13
Each of you here tonight have tremendous potential to
accomplish great things for the Kingdom of God.
I want to encourage you to dream big for the Kingdom, set goals that are
worthy of the Lord, ones that will stretch you and bring the changes you
desire. Make the proper preparations to minimize the risks. Dedicate the time and energy and be willing to work hard to accomplish what God has put in your heart. Finally remember to celebrate as you go and when you reach your goal.
Don’t let 2014 become a repeat
of 2013. There is much more God has for
us as we partner with him.
James Emery White, pastor of Mecklenburg Community
Church posted 15 Resolutions for the New Year that I think were very good and
worthy of your consideration. Church & Culture www.churchandculture.org
1.
Pray
more.
So he said to me, “This is the word of the
Lord…‘Not by might nor by power, but by
my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty. (Zechariah 4:6, NIV)
2.
Invest
in your spiritual gift(s).
Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message
when the body of elders laid their hands on you. Be diligent in these matters; give yourself
wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. (I Timothy 4:14-15,
NIV)
3. Get more intentional about evangelism.
I have become all things to all men so that
by all possible means I might save some. (I Corinthians 9:22, NIV)
4. Care for yourself spiritually.
Not that I have already obtained all this, or
have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which
Christ Jesus took hold of me. (Philippians 3:12, NIV)
5. Make the tough decisions you know are
best.
And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going
to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy
Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing to
me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has
given me — the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace. (Acts 20:22-24,
NIV)
6. Confront debilitating patterns of sin.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a
great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin
that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out
for us. (Hebrews 12:1, NIV).
7. Do the hard work needed to build
community.
If your brother sins against you, go and show
him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won
your brother over. (Matthew 18:15, NIV)
8. Keep in touch with contemporary culture.
From the tribe of Issachar, there were 200
leaders…All these men understood the signs of the times and knew the best
course for Israel to take. (I Chronicles 12:32, NLT)
9. Quit comparing yourself to other
Christians, other leaders, and other churches.
Turning his head, Peter noticed the disciple
Jesus loved following right behind. When
Peter noticed him, he asked Jesus, “Master, what’s going to happen to him?”
Jesus said, “If I want him to live until I come again, what’s that to you? You
— follow me.” That is how the rumor got out among the brothers that this
disciple wouldn’t die. But that is not what Jesus said. He simply said, “If I
want him to live until I come again, what’s that to you?” (John 21:20-23, Msg)
10. Read more.
Timothy, please come as soon as you
can…When you come, be sure to…bring my books,… (II Timothy 4:9, 13, NLT)
11. Prioritize your family.
A leader must be well-thought-of, committed
to his wife,…attentive to his own children and having their respect. For if
someone is unable to handle his own affairs, how can he take care of God’s
church? (I Timothy 3:2-5, Msg)
12. Refuse to use ministry to satisfy your
personal ambition.
Should you then seek great things for
yourself? Seek them not. (Jeremiah 45:5, NIV)
13. Love people, not just crowds.
If I speak with human eloquence and angelic
ecstasy but don’t love, I’m nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. If I speak God’s Word with power, revealing
all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that
says to a mountain, “Jump,” and it jumps, but I don’t love, I’m nothing. If I give everything I own to the poor and
even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don’t love, I’ve gotten
nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt
without love. (I Corinthians 13:1-3, Msg)
14. Be more open to change.
See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
(Isaiah 43:19, NIV)
15. Stay focused on the vision.
They devoted themselves to the apostles’
teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many
wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had
everything in common. Selling their
possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in
the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad
and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And
the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. (Acts 2:42-47,
NIV).
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