I wanted to take a moment to share with you something that I have started doing that has been beneficial to my walk with the Lord. Over the last couple of weeks, I have compiled a list of things I need to work on to become more Christ-like as I think of them. When something comes to mind, whether it be from a comment of someone’s, a reflection, or immediately after I act in a way I regret, I type it into my iPod right away, before I forget it. Needless to say, I was somewhat surprised at how fast the list grew! I have begun to realize that there are many important areas in need of growth and attention that I simply loose track of in the constant flow of information through my mind.
Here is the list as of now:
Pride
a) display of works and talents
b) do not boast in myself
Serve
a) rediscover servant mindset
Lying
a) complete truth; no half-truths
Slander
a) speak evil of no one
Stewardship
a) consider how a choice will affect the promotion of His Kingdom
Discipline
a) consistent time in the Word
b) practice memory verses
c) stick to schedule
d) contribute to blogs
People
a) ask specifics, not just how are you doing
b) help others achieve their goals
c) do not neglect to invest in other Christians in meaningful ways
Commitment
a) strong effort toward my responsibilities
Sarcasm
a) remove sarcastic comments from my speech
Volunteer
a) lead groups in prayer
b) do extras at work
Just today, while I was pondering seeing my coworkers, I started thinking of what specific thing about their life I could ask them about. I truly believe this was on my mind in part because I simply took note of it last night when Sarah Gonzalez made a comment in Home Group about doing so with the people in her life – thanks Sarah!
Do any of you do something similiar to this? Do you have any suggestion for me? Does it seem too legalistic? I am thinking it may be good to come up with some verses to attach to each of these little categories, if anyone knows any good ones for a particular topic.
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Wednesday, 28 January 2009 at 12:10 pm
Anonymous
I’ve been doing something similar… it’s humbling to see how imperfect we really are. Careful you don’t let yourself get into a “I will become perfect” mindset, working through your sins for all the wrong reasons.
Wednesday, 28 January 2009 at 12:27 pm
Edward Cross
Thank you very much for your suggestion. I think it is good for me to hear; I have a history of giving an illusion of perfection to myself and others.
Wednesday, 28 January 2009 at 2:56 pm
Vermon
I think it’s a great idea Eddie. I see what you are doing as part of the process of regularly disciplining yourself in order to successfully run the race God has set before us (1 Cor 9:24-27). The key in this of course is not to do this depending on your own strength or thinking that this is a way to “earn” your way before God. We discipline ourselves depending fully on the Lord’s grace, recognizing that even the best strategies are nothing without the Lord’s help. And always we affirm that our validation comes because we are in Christ and because his righteousness has been imputed to our account.
And by the way, I’m glad to see you blogging more regularly!
Sunday, 8 February 2009 at 2:41 pm
Dennis
I think this is awesome, Eddie! I keep a daily journal that is somewhat similar. In addition to anything I think I need to work on, I try to make one observation for the day and list 3 things I am thankful for. I echo what V said about the grace part. It won’t become legalistic if you continue to be completely dependant on Him and His grace to make the changes in you that you identify. It’s not about will power to chage us, it is about engaging God and His grace to transform us into His image.