23 Apr Hopes & Habits (Because you can’t have uphill hopes and downhill habits) Part 28

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Remember this: You will never change your life unless you change what you are doing on a daily basis.

Let’s review what we have been sharing this month from:

Five of my personal daily dynamics?

  1. Daily spend time in the Word
  2. Daily spend time in prayer
  3. Daily love those closest to me
  4. Daily encourage someone
  5. Daily eat right and exercise

I shared that I’ve been taking these five “whacks” at my figurative trees for 25 years. Remember this:  Your daily decisions must match the size of your vision.  Diligence is doing little things, for a long time…until it makes a BIG difference!

Last week we shared…

Three broad categories that everyone’s five “whacks” should fall under:

  1. ) Make time for renewal (II Cor. 4:16).

Everyone should spend personal time with God on a daily basis.  Every day spend time with Jesus for renewal.

2.) Make time for relationships (Rom. 14:19).

Make time for your family.  Make time for your friends. Relationships are much like your bank account…no deposits, no withdrawals.  Many deposits…many withdrawals. Big in…big out! Little in…little out!

3.) Make time for rewards (II Cor. 5:10).

Here the Bible tells us, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.”  There is coming a time when all we have left is what we’ve given to God!  That’s why I am such a big proponent of the local church…it gives you an opportunity and platform to make a difference for Jesus!  

Remember this: One day we will all have to give an account for how we leveraged our time, talent and treasure for the Lord!

Today let’s continue; we have been going over our “Seven Purpose Principles”:

  1. You have a purpose (Eph. 2:10).  
  2. You must have purpose beyond your pain.
  3. There will be competition for your purpose (Mark 4:19)
  4. You only have a short time to fulfill your purpose (James 4:14).
  5. Determine to value your purpose (Phil. 3:7-8)
  6. Purpose comes daily (Ps. 90:12)

Today let’s continue with…

7. Eliminate the non-essentials for your purpose (Heb. 12:1-2)

Here the Bible tells us, “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

So many times things that really don’t matter are keeping us from “running the race” God has for us.  In the aforementioned verse the writer of Hebrews is telling us we need to strip away two things in order to be able to fulfill our destiny:

  1. “Sins” – this is self-explanatory.  Remember this: Sin initially thrills, but eventually kills!  Sin initially fascinates but eventually assassinates!
  2. “Weights” – these can be good things but not God things that distract us from our destiny.

In my exercise routine I do a lot of pull-ups.  Many times I will use weights to add to my natural body weight when doing pull-ups.  When I “lay aside” those weights then regular pull-ups are so much easier. It will be the same with your God-given destiny!Remember this:  Don’t always make a “to do” list…make a “to don’t” list!

Join us next week as we continue our series…