A Goody From Woody

Ephesians 5:16-17


Remember the Tyranny of the Urgent booklet from a few years back? Charles Hummel wrote this essay and his thesis is that all of us complain that there is not enough time in a day. He went on to make the observation that the greatest danger is letting the urgent things crowd out the important. Never enough time was his secondary thesis. The tyranny of the urgent means that we are letting things that are not important crowd out the important. That means that important goals like God goals, family goals or spiritual goals are usually taking a back seat to things that are not significant in light of eternity.

1. If you want a God-closeness relationship in 2010, you’ll need daily time in His Word. If you are new to reading God’s Word, some suggestions might be helpful. Take time daily just going slowly through the NT. Read a chapter or two; it will take you about a year. Another option: daily read the OT and NT in one year. If you choose this option, you will find several great Bible programs to facilitate this on your computer. If you do not have a computer, A Daily Walk, The Navigators, and Tabletalk by R. C. Sproul, all have programs that will allow you to order their books. All of these three basically monthly booklets encourage you to read them and read the Scriptures to give you insight and applications for each day. They are great tools!

2. The second suggestion for biblical goal setting in 2010 is daily time in prayer—focused time in reading and seeking God for who He is, not what we think we need. Putting God in His rightful place allows us to gain a better perspective on what we truly need.

3. Set family goals—meals together, prayer time together, worship time together, and play time together. Family means time with those whom God has placed in our lives by His design and for His glory.

4. Remember the great statement by Michelangelo? He observed, “The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.”

5. The last idea of goal-setting is important. What if God wants you to take training in discipleship/counseling through Rod and Staff in the New Year 2010? How could training help you to help others in a deeper way to find the joy of loving God and serving Him, and helping to serve others? Pray and ask Him. Tell us if He tells you; go for it in 2010! Let God be the focus, so that He can get all the glory. Thanks so much.

“Look carefully then how you walk! Live purposefully and worthily and accurately, not as the unwise and witless, but as wise (sensible, intelligent people), making the very most of the time [buying up each opportunity], because the days are evil. Therefore do not be vague and thoughtless and foolish, but understanding and firmly grasping what the will of the Lord is.” -Ephesians 5:15-17

God bless,
Woody