Copyright 2002
This is a time of the year when many of us reflect on spiritual matters. It is the holiday season for many of the major religions. Even people who aren't "religious" often take time to reflect on their lives at the beginning of the New Year.
Our church just completed a spiritual renewal campaign called "40 Days of Purpose." The sermons and small group lessons tied in with a daily devotional we studied at home, The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren. We were also encouraged to memorize a scripture verse each week. Together we developed two habits. We spent time daily reading a devotional book that included Bible readings and we memorized a Bible verse weekly for five weeks. Of course, we didn't need to have our church tell us to do these things. Setting aside time daily, we could do it ourselves, but studies do show that groups working together to change habits, for example people working on weight loss, tend to be more successful than individuals working alone.
After reading The Purpose Driven Live,, I'm even more committed to my daily quiet time in the morning. That's when I spend a few minutes reading my Bible, praying and planning my day. With the New Year approaching, I'm reflecting on how I can apply some of the other principles I've learned about life purpose.
Part of my purpose involves my involvement with my family, my local church, my community, and the rest of the world. Over the holidays, I'm reflecting on these areas of my life. I'm going to examine my life and focus in each area. What habits do I need to develop or enhance to become more balanced and fulfill my life purpose? In some areas, it will mean developing new habits. I plan to memorize Scripture verses on a regular basis. In many areas it will mean simply being more steadfast in the habits I'm already trying to keep. For example, I try to write letters to two elderly aunts every week, but lately I've missed a week here and there.
Sounds a lot like New Years Resolutions, doesn't it? Well, yes, I guess it is. Do you remember what your resolution was last year? What did you decide to do this year? I don't remember mine. Perhaps a good way to keep up the momentum is to start a journal. After examining the areas of your life - family, school, church, community, work, clubs, world, etc., write down the habits you would like to focus on. Then every month, or even every week, return to your journal and report your progress. This will keep your goals in mind, and next year you'll be ready to renew your goals to work on these habits or develop new habits.
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