For Christmas, my wife and I bought us
a new GPS. Our old one had gone brain-dead a few weeks earlier and,
though we don't always need a GPS, it comes in handy when we are
traveling in areas we don't normally travel in. A GPS (Global
Positioning System) is a small computer that enables you to get from
point A to point B the quickest and most efficient way possible. It
operates by satellite signals sent from high above the earth. If you
program it correctly and follow the directions it will generally get
you to your destination in a timely manner.
For the last couple of years I have
been working on/from a spiritual GPS that I call a Spiritual Growth
Plan (SGP). It is basically a goal-map that I develop (with the help of signals from above) at the
beginning of each year and seek to follow it through-out the year.
The ultimate goal is to grow spiritually, i.e. become more like
Christ (Ephesians 4:15), the SGP is the tool that helps me reach that
destination. Of course, spiritual growth is a life-long process, and
I will never reach the ultimate destination until this life is over,
but as a follower of Christ, I am called and commanded to be
consistently moving toward becoming like Christ in every way.
For most of my Christian life I thought
spiritual growth would happen naturally, like physical growth. But,
as I have learned the hard way with physical growth, unless there is
discipline and direction healthy growth doesn't just happen. Because
I wasn't disciplined or directed in my physical growth as a younger
person, I'm now having to make some significant changes in my
behavior in order to improve my physical health. I also have to have
the aid of medicine to keep my physical body functioning the way it
is supposed to. Growth in my body occurred automatically, but health
did not. A healthy body requires discipline and direction. Likewise a
healthy spiritual life requires discipline and direction, thus the
Spiritual Growth Plan.
On another page on this blog I have
placed my SGP for the world to see. I'm a bit apprehensive about it,
but I also realize that if I keep it just to myself, I have little or
no accountability and can slide "off the wagon" anytime I
want to. I'm hoping that the realization that other people in my life
may read my SGP and may just ask me how I'm doing with it, will help
keep me on track. So feel free to read it and check up on me throughout the year.
I also hope it will encourage you to
pray about and begin to develop your own SPG. Yours will be different
from mine, as mine was different from the person's who challenged me
to develop it. Start by thinking about areas in your Christian life
where you may need some work and then begin by praying about what the
Lord would have you to do to strengthen those areas. For me, I saw a
need to grow in the areas of Scripture, prayer and disciple-making,
so that is where I am primarily concentrating this year. It will
probably be a little different next year. Your areas may be similar
to mine, but they may be different as well. Ask the Holy Spirit to
guide you, and then follow His leadership.
One last thing about a Spiritual Growth
Plan: it is important to remember that the SPG is a means to an end,
not an end in itself. Sometimes when I am driving and using the GPS,
I find that I become so focused on making sure I follow the
directions to perfection, that I become overly stressed about the
next turn and if I miss it, I nearly blow a gasket. I get so anxious
about following the GPS that by the time I reach my destination, I'm
too stressed to enjoy it. I have to remind myself from time to time
that even if I miss a turn along the way, I will still eventually get
where I need to go, because my GPS has this wonderful thing called
"recalculating". So, even if I get off course for a little
while, the GPS will get me back on track in a short time.
Spiritually speaking, we have a word
for "recalculating"; we call it grace. Grace is that wonderful
gift from God that allows us to get back on course even after we've
missed a turn or two. So don't become so focused on fanatically
following the SGP that you don't enjoy the journey. Even if you miss
an element or two for a short-time, God allows for recalculating
through His amazing grace.
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