Word for the Year – Purge
Do you have a word for the year? As I was thinking about several tasks I would like to accomplish this year, the word purge came to mind. At first this didn’t really have a spiritual application for me as I was thinking about purging the clutter from several areas in our home.
I have two closets that desperately need cleaned out and organized along with our garage. The plan is to move most of the stuff in the closets to the garage, so that we can store some of our books in the closet. We are preparing for Foster Care and so the bookshelves in our guest room need to be taken down.
Since we do not have a basement or an attic, the garage and downstairs closets are our main storage areas. This was on the to-do list for last year, but it was least in priority at the time and therefore did not get accomplished.
Thinking on the word purge led me to consider other areas of my life that need purging as well. Several areas I wrote in my journal:
- Purge the clutter from our home – garage, closets, etc.
- Purge wrong thinking from my mind – I have been working on a series of blog posts about the mind. Our words and actions reveal what is in our hearts and minds. If we can control what we think by taking wrong thoughts captive (2 Cor. 10:5), then we can control both the things we say and the things we do. I look forward to sharing more with you of what the Lord is teaching me about this subject.
- Purge from the overuse of social media – ummm…so if most of us are honest, we all probably spend way too much time on social media. Along with trying to cut back the time spent on social media, I am looking for ways to make the time more productive when I am on there – sending encouraging messages, sharing positive and encouraging posts, avoiding negativity and debates.
- Purge from unhealthy eating and habits – Over the last several years, I have drastically changed my diet to eating cleaner due to health reasons. While we have already made a number of changes, there is still room to improve in this area and become more disciplined.
- Purge from wasted time – Over the last year or so we have made a greater attempt to spend more of our “down” time reading rather than watching TV. While it is important to take rests and come apart for a while, these times need to serve a purpose and not merely for the fulfillment of feeding our flesh.
Verse for the Year
I like to choose a theme verse for the year as well. After doing a word search and reading through each verse, I chose the following:
II Timothy 2:21, “If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, prepared unto every good work.”
This seemed appropriate as I was already preparing a couple of blog posts on this topic. As we prepare within the next year or two to go into full-time ministry, it is necessary to not only remove the physical clutter but also the spiritual clutter. Our desire is to be used in the greatest capacity possible. But if God is to use us, we must be clean vessels filled with His Spirit. It is only then that we can effectively pour ourselves into the lives of others. If you missed my posts on Becoming God’s Masterpiece Part 1 & Part 2, please go check them out!
Other Goals for 2018
1. Make prayer a priority
2. Intentionally invest in the lives of others through hospitality and discipleship (as the Lord provides opportunities)
3. Dig deeper into the study of God’s Word
4. Live frugally so that we can experience complete financial freedom and be debt free (minus our mortgage) by the end of June (or sooner)
5. Become more intentional in sharing the Gospel with others
Do you have goals to accomplish in 2018?
It is important as we set goals to develop a specific and intentional plan of action. It is much easier to set goals than it is to follow-through. If you have already set goals, consider how you plan to achieve them. Write down the steps needed to take in order to reach the final destination of completion. The more intentional you are in your planning, the more likely you will reach your goal.
John Maxwell said,
All good strategic thinkers are precise in their thinking. They try to match the strategy to the problem, because strategy isn’t a one-size-fits-all proposition. Sloppy or generalized thinking is an enemy of achievement. The intention to customize in strategic thinking forces a person to go beyond vague ideas and engage in specific ways to go after a task or problem.
Consider setting check points for yourself – weekly, monthly, and quarterly.
Are you on track or do you need to refocus?
As you set goals for this coming year, remember to keep an eternal focus.
Most things we stress and fuss over have no eternal value.
Ask yourself – “Will accomplishing this goal matter 5 years from now? How about 10? Will it even matter in eternity?”
Sometimes we may set goals for ourselves and then realize God has different plans. Don’t get discouraged, realize that accomplishing God’s will for your life is of greater importance than anything else you might do.
Isaiah 55:8-9,
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”