How now shall we live – 2010?
Discussion question for January 8, 2010. No Meeting on 12/25 or 1/1.
At the beginning of a new year and decade, it is appropriate to wonder how we should live. What choices are you making about your goals and plans for the coming year? How do you build confidence that your dreams and desires match up appropriately with God’s dreams and desires for you? Are you making intentional plans in new areas of your life?
Here’s my summary of our discussion.
We’ve talked before about resolutions, commitments, goal setting and intentionally leading a balanced life. For 2010 our collective focus is to be and do what God wants, rather than to guess about what we want and then try to get God’s buy-in.
If we are going to live our life for Christ, as a Christian should, then we must be more interested in trusting God than pleasing Him. Of course, our life will be pleasing to Him if we trust Him, but that isn’t the first purpose or objective. Pleasing Him is the expected outcome from trusting Him.
It makes sense to use the tools that are available to increase our chances of success in the things we do. If we understand that God wants us to increase physical fitness, then watch for the tools He brings to our attention. For example, the “body bug” or a personal trainer might be added motivation for sticking to a commitment.
Another tool that affects each of us is community. God had designed us in a way that one person helps another. This can be in family or church family situations. It can also be in negative input circumstances, such as seeing negative behavior in someone else and recognizing by the mirror that we are guilty as well.
Some great books we have used in the past are: Success is not an Accident (Newberry); Get a Life (McNeal); The 4:8 Principle (Newberry); Experiencing God (Blackaby). Two others that came up on the recommended list: Surprised by the Power of the Spirit (Deere); TrueFaced (Thrall).
We have every reason to believe that 2010 will be a great year because God has great things in store for us.