Friday, January 4, 2013

Goals for 2013

As the first week of 2013 begins to draw to a close, I've really been pondering the goals I want to set this year.  I have read quite a few resolution and goal posts this week and it has really convicted me on my lack of goal making.  While I always hope to do this or wish to do that, I don't have written out, planned out, accountable for goals.  And I want that.  I want to be stretched and I want to grow.  On the first day of 2014 I want to look back and be amazed.  Not at what I did, but at what the Lord has done in my life.  I want to reach for Him.  I want to search for Him.  I want to live for Him.  I want to do more, say more, act more, pray more, read more, and be more for Him.  With that said, here are a few things I am longing for in 2013.

1.  I long for a deeper relationship with Christ.  I want to wake up in the morning hungry for His word and I want to lay down at night with a desire to read and pray and seek and listen.  I want my heart to burn with passion for Him.  What does that look like?  It means carving out time every morning and every night to sit with the Word uninterrupted.  It means having someone to hold me accountable to that.  It means taking time to memorize the precious Word of God.  It means saying "no" to some things of the world so that I can say "yes" to Jesus.  

2.  I long to see my lost friends and family come to know the Lord.  My heart ins't broken enough for the people in my life who don't know Jesus.  If we take the sugar coating off, I have friends and family who will spend an eternity in Hell apart from the Father.  Whoa.  That's big stuff.  My heart should be nothing less than burdened.  I should have the strongest desire to share Jesus and stand up for Him even when it has the tendency to get awkward.  What does this look like?  I will speak up more.  I will share my heart more.  I will invite more.  I will encourage more.  I will pray more.

3.  I long for community.  We've been involved in an amazing new church plant for the past year and we've met some of the greatest friends through it, but we don't truly "do life" with these people.  They really aren't my "community".  They aren't the people I call for prayer or the people that I can't wait to share my latest "God moment" with.  That's pure honesty right there.  While we've grown leaps and bounds at Eastpoint and truly learned what it means to be a part of the body, we haven't really embraced community.  Yes, community is something that will take ALL involved, I can be more proactive.  I can call that couple over for dinner.  I can be praying for the friends who I know are having a hard time.  I can call that pastor's wife up just to give her some encouragement.  There are things I can do to promote that community.

There are so many "goals" that are running through my mind, but when I really begin to think about what matters in life, these are the only three that really have an eternal difference.  Now that I am sharing these things with you, I have become accountable.  I'm thinking that once a month or so I will write a little post just to share where I am on the journey.  I know that I need this accountability.  It's so easy to be running full force in January, but slowly begin to fade back into that comfortable lifestyle in February.  It will be my prayer that I continue to stay accountable in this place.  I want to be real and raw and honest.  The months that I've not taken a step forward or taken a few steps back, I want to share.  While the re-evaluation will be tough at times, it will be sweet at others.  This accountability will be good.  This growth will be good.  It will all be in the name of Jesus.  


10 comments:

Amanda aka Manda said...

I love these goals lady! Not only are they sincere but they make others think. Thank you! Hopefully we can help hold each other accountable to our goals!

Nicole-Lynn said...

Great goals! xo

Anna TTIL said...

These are great! I have a long list of goals I'd like to accomplish including many related to my faith and relationship with God, and just as you said, those are the most important.

One of the things my husband and I are doing this year is reading the Bible thru using a chronological Bible we have. I can't tell you how much it's already re-ignited my desire to spend more time with the Lord!

Gennean said...

Amen amen amen! I echo all three of your goals!

Venessa said...

Great goals! Cant wait to see how your 2013 goes!

Melanie said...

these are wonderfully inspiring. thank you for posting :)

Rachel said...

I'm holding back the tears because you pretty much just pulled those goals out of my heart and wrote them down...I totally understand where you're coming from on all of those! Let's make this year a year to remember!

Rorie said...

Becoming more involved with my faith is my top resolution for this year :)

Julie said...

You put it so well: "I want to wake up in the morning hungry for His word" SO TRUE! I love that out of all the goals you could make you chose to share the most important ones :)

Mary said...

I so get what you mean with #2. Watching a loved one of mine run from Christ and his calling in his life for the past 7 months have been heart wrenching, but actually thinking about the eternal ramifications makes it that much bigger and instantly brings me to my knees. I think I too often underestimate the power of prayer. Here's to holding you accountable and asking the same from you!

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