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Plan to Grow in 2011
Plan to Grow in 2011
January approaches, the beginning of a new year full of opportunities as yet unknown. The first month of our year is named after the ancient Roman god of gates, doors, and beginning and endings—Janus. He was pictured with two faces, each pointing in opposite directions. I know January is not here yet, but perhaps we should already start thinking along these lines. The next few weeks are times for looking back and looking ahead.
What have you done this year? Have you grown spiritually? Christianity is not about where we are right now; it is about where we are growing. No matter how mature we are, the issue is are we more mature than we were this time last year? Consider II Peter 1:5-8. It says we should grow in faith, moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. How have you grown in these characteristics over the past year?
According to Galatians 5:22-23, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. If we are being led by the Spirit, these things will be increasing in our lives. Are we farther along in these issues? Have we really been allowing the Spirit to guide us? We should take some time this month to examine ourselves based on this litmus test.
If we are farther along, let’s consider what helped. If we aren’t, let’s ask what hindered. This is going to take extremely honest and purposeful self-examination. But it will be worth it.
Now look forward into the upcoming year. How do you plan to grow in 2011? Please, understand that spiritual growth is not like physical growth. As long as we eat, we grow physically. Spiritual growth, however, takes real planning. It does not happen accidentally or naturally.
Allow me to provide a few suggestions for planning your growth. Instead of being overwhelmed with everything the Bible says, pick one or two areas of your life on which to focus. For instance, instead of being overwhelmed by the whole list in II Peter 1:5-8, pick “faith” and work to increase it. After a few months, you might focus more on moral excellence. Don’t worry that you will miss out on any of them. As you increase one, the others will naturally increase as well.
If walking by the Spirit is what bears the fruit in Galatians 5:22-23, then plan your time in the Spirit’s word. Plan your Bible reading and study. Many people plan to read the Bible through every year. You may want to do it over two years or over six months. The point is to have a Bible reading plan and stick with it. Then have your study plan. Study is more in depth than reading. As above, don’t be overwhelmed by the entire Bible; pick out a book, topic, or character you will plan to study in depth throughout the year. Plan your study and follow through. If you are not sure exactly how you want to do this, go to our website (brownsburgchurch.info) and check out the “Give Attention to Reading” plan links on that page.
Plan your prayer time. Daniel prayed three times every day (Daniel 6:10). Your plan doesn’t have to be exactly the same. But you need to develop some kind of plan. When will you pray? Where will you pray? For whom or what will you pray? With whom will you pray? The point is to plan it and stick with your plan.
Finally, plan time with other Christians beyond the regular assemblies. Plan times to worship together through Bible study, prayer, or singing. Also, plan social time with your brethren. You will be amazed at how just being around other Christians on a regular basis helps you grow.
Don’t let 2010 end without thinking about your growth. Otherwise 2011 will slip by and you won’t grow at all. Growth only happens on purpose. What is your plan?
--Edwin L. Crozier
- December_5_2010-Plan_to_Grow.pdf (0.00 B)
