Efforts

At the beginning of the year, there is a general sense of newness and the desire to start over again with intention towards health and bettering ones self. Of course, by the time March rolls around most of that initial effort is spent.

I also did this. I started the new year fairly strong. I had made the goal to go walking 3 days a week, nothing crazy. On my mornings off I would walk around "the block" which of course clocked me in at almost 2 miles. I enjoyed the 30 minutes of crisp morning sunshine and the ability to listen to my audio book in peace. But a couple bad days of weather and a persistent illness, meant that I left that habit in the dust last month.

In my effort this year to stay focused with passion on the things set before me, I am continuing to make an effort to keep on track with the changes and the goals I have set for myself this year and not get sidelined by perfectionism or even, fear. So often, I am waiting for perfect circumstances or my life to reflect the Biblical model before I step out in faith. But we all know by now, God did not call perfect people. My life has flaws.

One of my bigger goals for this year has been to daily renew. This is not only a pyschological but a spiritual task that helps to remind me of the focus of the year. Renew is a beautiful word that means "to begin again". How simple and yet miles away from the easy this concept is. How do we begin again each day?

Romans 12 has been essential in my life. "Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." (v. 1-2, NASB)

Two things stand out to me, one, my body is meant to daily live in a constant state of sacrificial worship to God; and two, my mind needs renewing. My efforts should be on focusing so much on being acceptable to God, that I don't care what others think. Beginning each day all over again with the focus being on pleasing God and being renewed by Him, then I will be in God's will.

This needs to be a lasting change, it will take practice and I will fail. But the effort is in the beginning again. Famously it is said that the difference between the betrayal of Judas and Peter, is simply that Peter began again and Judas gave up. I don't want to give up and end the story. I want to be known for persistently seeking God in the face of all my faults and failures, in the face of oppostion, trials, and tribulations. I want this one to be the habit that changes the DNA of my entire family.

Make sure your efforts are focused on the right thing.