Planning Centre
10 I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.
12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
15 All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things.
Philippians 3:10-15
So, we’ve hopefully gained some motivation and some wisdom on making New Year resolutions/rules to life. And maybe you have already jumped the gun and made some. But whether you have or haven’t, let’s put some thought into the actual resolution/rules themselves.
If you haven’t already - I encourage you to go to the article by Jeremy Linneman on why you should make Rules to Life rather than Resolutions (https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/skip-resolutions-make-rule-life/).
But whether you want to make Rules to Life with Commitments or just traditional goals or resolutions, there is one big principle I would encourage you to follow. That is - put God at the centre.
We’ve used the analogy of the Tour de France. Imagine for a moment. You are given the opportunity to be a part of Jesus’ team. To ride the race with Jesus and ascend the mountain with Him. The price of admission - Jesus' life and death. And you turn up to the pre-planning meeting and Jesus asks what’s your next step.
And you say, well, I was planning to just quickly visit Paris and I’ve got this bucket-list I need to do and are you cool to wait until my family has grown up a little more or until I’ve gotten financially secure.
It sounds crazy, but this is what we do! Can I remind us of the true goal of life with Jesus. It’s sanctification. To become more like Him and to reach the end of our life and receive the crown of victory for those who followed Him faithfully. It’s to stand before God and hear, “good and faithful servant”.
So here is my question - is Jesus at the centre of your plans? Do your resolutions or rules to life reflect Jesus’ rightful place? Are you prioritising growing in your love and knowledge of Him and living for His purposes. Or are you just pursuing your own?
I encourage you. Consider the bigger picture as you plot your stages along the way.
For Today:
Pray:
12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
15 All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things.
Philippians 3:10-15
So, we’ve hopefully gained some motivation and some wisdom on making New Year resolutions/rules to life. And maybe you have already jumped the gun and made some. But whether you have or haven’t, let’s put some thought into the actual resolution/rules themselves.
If you haven’t already - I encourage you to go to the article by Jeremy Linneman on why you should make Rules to Life rather than Resolutions (https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/skip-resolutions-make-rule-life/).
But whether you want to make Rules to Life with Commitments or just traditional goals or resolutions, there is one big principle I would encourage you to follow. That is - put God at the centre.
We’ve used the analogy of the Tour de France. Imagine for a moment. You are given the opportunity to be a part of Jesus’ team. To ride the race with Jesus and ascend the mountain with Him. The price of admission - Jesus' life and death. And you turn up to the pre-planning meeting and Jesus asks what’s your next step.
And you say, well, I was planning to just quickly visit Paris and I’ve got this bucket-list I need to do and are you cool to wait until my family has grown up a little more or until I’ve gotten financially secure.
It sounds crazy, but this is what we do! Can I remind us of the true goal of life with Jesus. It’s sanctification. To become more like Him and to reach the end of our life and receive the crown of victory for those who followed Him faithfully. It’s to stand before God and hear, “good and faithful servant”.
So here is my question - is Jesus at the centre of your plans? Do your resolutions or rules to life reflect Jesus’ rightful place? Are you prioritising growing in your love and knowledge of Him and living for His purposes. Or are you just pursuing your own?
I encourage you. Consider the bigger picture as you plot your stages along the way.
For Today:
- Read the article!
- Reflect on whatever rules/resolutions you have already made or make some!
- If you haven’t already - share your rules/resolutions with two people for support.
Pray:
- Praise the Father that He is never sidetracked from His purpose.
- Give thanks for Jesus who earned you the right to ride with Him.
- Ask God for His Holy Spirit to help you and others keep Jesus at the centre.
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