Saturday, January 1, 2011

2011: Take It or Leave It

I have to decide what to take into 2011 and what to leave behind. If I don’t decide, I’ll just drag everything into 2011. Bad plan. Growth requires change, and change happens by decision. No decision = no change = no growth. God wants growth; so do I. Therefore, decisions are necessary.


In 2011 I will:

Leave: vague feelings of not measuring up

Take: clear statements of what matters most and what to do about it


Leave: waiting for the perfect words before writing anything on this blog

Take: write plainly and simply about what matters on this blog


Leave: over-qualifying/over-explaining what I’m saying, or not saying, lest anyone misunderstand what I’m saying or not saying… and taking forever to say… things

Take: clear thoughts, in the moment, plainly spoken


Leave: seeing life as a classroom/laboratory for understanding how it all works (academic)

Take: seeing life as my journey I share with others, learning as we go (expedition)


In 2011, my hope and prayer is that the Body of Christ worldwide will:

Leave: being the “sin police” for the world around us

Take: living out our faith as our #1 priority to the world around us


Leave: pouring time, energy and money into petty self-promotion of a person/group/entity

Take: living out the life and message of Jesus to each other, and to the world around us, period


Leave: looking for a greater “market share” of those who already profess to follow Jesus

Take: simply following Jesus as the salt of the earth and the light of the world, intentionally being among “the world”


What will you take and what will you leave?

- Steve