The Next Step

Over the last 10 days, I've found myself overcome with emotion. As I've reflected on 2010, I've shed many a tear remembering God's faithfulness and the mountains He's moved in my life. To say I’m bubbling with excitement at what the future holds is a vast understatement!

I'm still in the process of praying about my goals for this year, writing them down, and developing strategies for accomplishing them. But after I’m done praying and planning, I’ll be pausing. And asking God to show me the next step.

Not the next ten steps. Not the next two steps. Just the next step I’m supposed to take.

You see, I often forge full steam ahead, juggling my resolutions while speed skating through life. I develop a Superwoman complex and then pretend I’m the maven of multi-tasking. I attempt to manage multiple goals in addition to staying on top of everyday life. But before I know it my resolutions coupled with my responsibilities result in burnout. And instead of accomplishing one thing, I end up accomplishing nothing—no thing!

Although we’re often focused on the big picture, God usually illuminates our paths just like a flashlight does— one small sphere at a time. He knows we’re prone to wander rather than walk hand-in-hand with Him. He beckons us to seek Him first and love Him with all our hearts, souls, and minds (Matthew 22:37). He invites us to rest in Him because He knows the plans He has for us, and those plans will be accomplished in His perfect time (Jeremiah 29:11). He urges us not to worry about tomorrow because tomorrow holds enough trouble of its own (Matthew 6:34).

Proverbs 16:9 reminds us that “we can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.” This year, let’s ask Him to determine our steps just one at a time. Once He does, let’s focus our efforts on completing the task He gives us each day and leave tomorrow in His hands.

That way, we’ll never become so focused on the destination that we miss the blessing of the journey. We won’t forget the value of the process because we’re too fixated on our progress. Instead, we’ll rest assured we’ve done only what He’s asked of us and that Well Done, Good and Faithful Servant will one day play like music to our ears.

The One Thing

You know the saying- A New Year, A New You. So I decided yesterday that the new, organized me would begin the process of decluttering my bedroom. I'm the princess of piles, and as I rummaged through old paperwork, I found a list I made a few years ago. Scratched across the top of the page was the title "Things I Want to Change- New Disciplines." And listed below the title were 21 goals I desired to accomplish in my life. Now these weren't just any goals, but lofty ones like:

• Develop a proactive plan for my life rather than merely reacting, moving from crisis to crisis
• Have a specific vision for the spiritual growth of my marriage and my children
• Establish a tighter routine for my kids and a consistent plan for discipline
• Be accountable to a budget
• Love others as Christ does
• Memorize Scripture
• Develop a plan for keeping my home and stick to it

Sounds great, right? Well, not exactly. Because of those 21 goals, I've consistently accomplished only four. Disappointment stung my soul as feelings of failure crept in. And I wondered why so many times in my life I've made resolutions but failed to keep them.

I got my answer at church this morning. As my pastor preached on goal setting, he said that the source of our frustration is misidentification. The Lord revealed to me that while goals are good and plans make life purposeful, any time I elevate those things over the "priceless gain of knowing Christ," I'll end up disgruntled and miserable (Philippians 3:8). That's because God never intended for me to be satisfied with anything but Him. The fulfillment of any goal, no matter how lofty, will never compare to knowing Jesus in a personal, passionate, and powerful way.

As I write this, the lyrics of a worship song entitled Knowing You echo in my mind, and I pray they'll minister truth to your spirit as you start this new year.

All I once held dear, built my life upon,
All this world reveres and wars to own;
All I once thought gain I have counted loss,
Spent and worthless now compared to this.

Knowing You, Jesus, knowing You
There is no greater thing.
You're my all, You're the best,
You're my joy, my righteousness,
And I love You Lord.

Now my heart's desire is to know You more,
To be found in You and known as Yours,
To possess by faith what I could not earn
All surpassing gift of righteousness

Oh to know the power of Your risen life,
And to know You in Your sufferings;
To become like You in Your death, my Lord,
So with You to live and never die.

Knowing you, Jesus, knowing you
There is no greater thing.
You're my all, you're the best.
You're my joy, my righteousness.
And I love you Lord.

I know we'll make plans and set goals for the first year of this dawning decade. But in the process, let's never forsake the one thing for which we were created- to know God and be known by Him.