Resolution

Wow...nine months since my last post! I guess that won't do much to build my blogging resume. Rather than list reasons I haven't posted (if you follow me on Twitter, my tweets probably more than make up for a lack of blog posts, in number if not helpful content!) I'll just start with where I'm at. I had the opportunity to listen to a couple podcasts yesterday (both free), the always helpful Andy Stanley Leadership Podcast and Steven Furtick's latest message from Elevation Church. Both of these seemed to hit me at just the right time for the season I am in. The main points from each of these seemed to tie together perfectly for me.

Many times, we focus on a "New Year's resolution" and immediately go to goals we have for the year or things we want to DO in the coming year. Goals are not bad, but the game-changing thought was what if we focused not on what we want to do, but who we want to BE. This has so many implications. We all have things we want to do this year, in our life or our ministry. Many times, my frustrations, attitude, and even how I relate to friends and family all depend on how much I am accomplishing, or whether I feel I am moving closer or further away from the goals I have prayerfully set for myself (or my church). But none of us are going to look back in 30 years at all the stuff we did, if we weren't the people that God wanted us to be. Who do you want to be this year? This is going to be my focus in 2013. Who am I becoming in Christ?

Furtick spoke powerfully about how we are always in process. God does not look at us as a project that he finishes and is done with. We are naturally 'project people' and want to accomplish something, check it off the list, and move on to something else. He suggested that we can't take that approach to our lives. God is not finished with us. We can't expect to be complete. We are always growing, struggling, learning, and need to depend on Him to do His work to keep moving us along in the process.
In 2013, I want to accept that I am continually in the process of becoming the person God wants me to be. I have some things I've written down that I would like to 'BE'. I'm praying that God continues to move me toward BEing those things. I may not get there this year, or next, or the year after. But I will be closer...

Who do you want to BE this year?

How does who you want to BE affect the things you want to DO?

How can remembering that we are in process, not a finished work, encourage us with our daily struggles?

How can you encourage others to focus more on who the are BEcoming than what they are DOing?