How did you like my headline? It more truthful than most, huh?

I get a bit cynical at this time of the year as I read eye-catching article headlines like, “Five Sure-fire Ways To Grow Hair,” “33 Proven Tricks To Shed 350 Pounds Quickly,” or “Here’s Three Secrets To Go From Really Ugly to Really Beautiful In the Blink Of An Eye.”

Or some such drivel.

I could headline this article, « Seven Keys to Total Victory This Year. » Or how about, « Here’s Seven Steps To the Life You Want In 2017. » I’m sure I’ve probably used something similar because that’s part of the formula. Promise the world.

Come on now. Raise your hand if you believe you’re going to get there this year.

Hang onto your seat for the revelation of your life. Here’s one revelation that will shake you to the core. You’ll never be the same if you understand this. Actually, this may be true if you can grasp what comes next:

Arriving isn’t always the best part of the trip. Sometimes the process of getting there is more fun—AND MORE IMPORTANT– than actually arriving at the destination.

It’s crazy but a lot of people are empty and unfullfilled when they reach their goal. They don’t know it, but they love the process. And that’s not bad.

So these seven things probably won’t make you perfect by the end of the year. The Lord isn’t making perfect men anymore. My wife got the last one. Hmmm … maybe not.

But, if at the end of the year you’re further up the road and more like the Lord Jesus, closer to your goals, then you’re successful.

The next few weeks we’re going to talk about some things that will get you nearer to your objective.

1–Watch/develop/decide … your attitude

What is your attitude? “Poor me. No one values my contribution. Others are privileged, but not me. The world is going to pot. I’m angry. It the fault of …”

Or maybe,

“I’m one of the most blessed people on the face of the earth. I can do all things through Christ. Look what God has done for me. I’m going to get through this. I’m going to do it.

“Choo, choo …  I think I can, I think I can, I think I can (through Christ).”

2–Invest in building relationships with those around you and adding value to their life.  When you do that you add value to your own life.

It’s as if someone matched the money you give, dollar for dollar.  It’s almost as if, magically, everything you do for someone else, another person does the same or more for you.

When you give, you get back sooner or later.

Be intentional about developing relationships with others. Life works that way. Networks are so important—it’s not what you know that’s important, it’s WHO you know. That’s often TRUE. But, we don’t develop relationships and networks because we want to climb the ladder. We do it because we need it and they need it.

3–Get on a Mission. “We’re on a mission from God. » I don’t usually quote the Blues Brothers, but when you spend your life for something you think is worthwhile, richness seeps into the ordinary.

Those who don’t know why they are here stew in misery. Or vegetate. Human legumes.

Get on a mission! Find a reason that’s important. No one is excluded. You’re not here accidentally. God planned you, willed your existence, and wants you to serve Him.

4–Trust God. In every circumstance that shows up on your doorstep or that you encounter as you carry out God’s will for your life, trust Him!

Learn how to “use” God’s Word/praise and worship/committed relationships with brothers and sisters/ and prayer to successfully affront each giant that bars the way.

5–Grow! 

Grow in your relationship with God. Progress intellectually and physically. Grow your personality. Grow into one of those people you love to be around.

 

6—Learn to transfer your confidence from what you can do, to what God can do.

Then do it. Slowly but surely, falling down and getting back up, keeping your eye on the goal, by the power of the Most High God in the Name of Jesus—do it!  « Be strong in the Lord and the power of His might! » (Eph. 6)

7–Make your relationship with God the boiler room of your life.

The beating heart of who you are.

Go after Him. Let HIm come to you. Run to Him. It’s not keeping religious rules that changes you. It’s being in the radiating presence of the God who loves you insanely.

So, no wild promises. Just a few weeks traveling together to see if we can’t both get closer to our destination. I’ll see you next week (don’t forget your walking shoes).

Hmmm …

” Confront your biggest fears. If your goals don’t scare you, you aren’t thinking big enough. Most of the value in goal-setting is the growth that must take place in you to achieve them. Often, this is frightening.” Michael Hyatt
“The size of my prayer depends on the size of my God…How BIG is your God?” Sam Maloney

General George Patton once said, “A good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan executed next week.”