Christian Goals

 Christian  Goals....

 I have been a Christian for most of my life. I was saved at 8 years old. I guess it was not until I was a teenager before my responsibilities as a Believer actually sunk in. There were responsibilities and actions that I should do (actions) as a follower of Christ. The following are some of my thoughts:

1) Know what your Belief system is based on--

 My beliefs can be found in the song "The Creed" by Hillsong.  

Check the lyrics out on the following post.......

Paul said that we need to confess with our mouths what we believe....

I pray that God will bless you today. 😀.

2) Be real. 

There is no place today for being a fake. Be honest and true with yourself and with your friends and church membership. Tell people about your faith and your beliefs. Live that life of Christ that He leads you to. If you are like me I cringe when I hear those old-fashioned phrases from the past. Do they even know what that means?  Take risks and open up to family and strangers alike. 

May the 4th be with you ! 😎

3)Put GOD first.

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30).

This verse is referenced several times in the Bible.....cross reference: Deuteronomy 6:5

This does not seem like it would be hard because God loves each and every person. However, we let worldly things distract us and tempt us to focus on other things. We may not mean to move our focus but it happens nonetheless. Start every day with your eyes on the LORD.

Have a blessed day! 💛

4) Be Strong by "putting on the whole armor of God"

We are called to use the abilities and characteristics of a soldier of God in order to stay strong in the Lord. I have always loved the imagery in Ephesians 6:10-13.

1. The Belt of Truth
2. The Breastplate of Righteousness
3. Feet Fitted with the Gospel of Peace
4. Shield of Faith
5. Helmet of Salvation
6. Sword of the Spirit

5)  Grow in your faith

We must continue to move forward in knowledge and understanding of God . So...how do we do that exactly??  Even when I started to backslide I knew that Jesus was there waiting for me to turn back to my faith. CAUTION:   IF you do not move forward then you may be stagnate or even backslide. In growing my faith I read my Bible everyday. I love cute devotional books! I discovered The Prayerful Planner about 2 years ago. I started using it as my daily devotional quiet time. It made me crave more---so I found a Read-the-Bible-Through plan online. I surprised myself and completed it on Dec. 31st!!  I am 64 years old and this was the first time I was successful . I had started many times over the years but always dropped it after a while.  I also try to find a topic so I can study new things in Scripture. There are tons of resources out there to choose from. 

Have a blessed day. Smile! 😀

6) Live your life while waiting on Jesus' return

Attend church and make friends with other Christians. Every day should be filled with the routines of  life. Use your time here on Earth wisely. Increase your knowledge. Love others. Witness about God's saving grace and mercy to us. Make this life an ABUNDANT life.

Who will YOU be blessing today?? 👧

7) Be secure in the knowing that  you are a child of God

Ephesians  3:12 tells us to  "boldly go into God's presence". We can do this because He is our Father. God loved us so much He sent Jesus to redeem mankind from their sins. Feeling that love is priceless.

8) Memorize Scripture--God's Word

Build up a store of verses that can comfort, give you peace and impart wisdom. God's Word is part of the Armor of God we are to put on everyday--the belt of TRUTH.

9) Stand Apart from the World

 Romans 12 begins with " do not be conformed to the world but transformed by the renewing of your mind ..."    These verses tell us that as Christians we are to think differently and act differently. When I think about a transformation from lost to saved I think of a butterfly; we undergo a metamorphosis as we grow in faith and knowledge.

10)  Be a Friend you Would like to Have  

WE all have heard of The Golden Rule--  'Do Unto Others as You Would Have Done to You' . Jesus preached that the greatest commandment was " love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.."  also to " Love your neighbor as yourself " .  Don't judge others that is God's job. Let them see Jesus in you. 

11)  Turn to God First--not as a Last Resort  

Sometimes we try to solve our problems by ourselves, but we will not be successful that way. We need to turn to God for all things. Begin by praying in the morning and praying at bedtime. I find that I am constantly communicating with God throughout the day. Go boldly to God and ask for what you need.  In the New Testament a man cried out to Jesus and Jesus just plainly asked him, "What do you want me to do for you?"  A simple answer will suffice.

12) Be a person of Honesty and Honor

We should always strive for honesty in all our relationships, especially with God. If you are honest, you will never mix up your story. Always be the same person no matter the situation or company you keep. Be a consistent Christian.

13) Always be Open to Learning New Things

Do not be stagnant. Learning new skills or new information is exciting!!  Use God's Word to study the nature of God, Jesus or any other Biblical person. I love themed Bible Studies on topics that interest me. Check out colleges in your area or online colleges to further your religious studies.  Sometimes cities will have courses they offer the community. Learning new things does not limit you to only Biblical topics. Everything you do can be to the glory of God.

14) Strive to  be Financially Healthy

This has continued to be a struggle for me personally. I live in South Mississippi. The lowest state in any number of ways. I graduated from college and started teaching. Yes. A teacher from Mississippi. I have lived from paycheck to paycheck for so long, It is my way of life. I retired after 30 years of teaching and I still live from one month to the next. 

First of all--you need a budget. How much money you have available and where it is going to go is important..

Second,  be wise with the resources God gives you. Tithing is a choice that individuals have to make. It is not a requirement for salvation or membership in a church.

And third, try to save a little money each month for emergencies. Don't beat yourself up if this doesn't happen every month. Do it as  you can.

15)  Seek Wisdom

Wisdom is something that once you have it, it cannot be taken away. Where can we find wisdom?  In books, lectures, podcasts, classes, colleges, and churches. Also, talking to other Christians, pastors, and friends can educate you and inspire you. The absolute best resource for us is The Holy Bible, God's Word. 

King Solomon prayed for wisdom and God gave it to him.  We can do the same. Ask God to lead and guide  you to the right source for wisdom. 

Commit to seeking wisdom.

16)  Live Unafraid

If you are living your life in God's will, you have no reason to fear. He loves us and protects us from anything that would harm us. Of course, when we look at the life of Job, we see that God allowed bad things to happen due to Satan. But God said that he could not kill him. Sometimes we are tested  and even if we are afraid, God is with us through it all.

17) Prioritize Life Goals

It is interesting to see how our priorities change as we grow older. In our twenties we are all about having fun and buying the most expensive toys. We tend to think that instant gratification is what life is about. However, as we age we start to think about our legacy. What will people remember about us? Will they have good things to say about us or did we do and say things that hurt others?  The things that cannot be bought are the most precious. Close friendships, our families, fulfilling happiness, contentment, and joy, and an especially close ,intimate relationship with Jesus. Decide what is important to you now.

18) Live in the Present

So many times we waste our lives away dwelling on the past. We have regrets and constantly think of what we wish we had done. The past is the past---we need to live today. Ask God to help you get over past mistakes and disappointments. Look forward to what is coming. Our reward is in the future when Jesus triumphantly returns to gather His children in the sky.  You are making new memories.

19)  Be a Servant

What Would Jesus Do?  Jesus lived a life of servanthood. He came to serve and taught His disciples to love others and help when it is needed. Today we should live the same way. Look around you--we see people in need everywhere. Jesus has called us to take care of these less fortunate than we are. 

20)  Leave YOUR Legacy

All of us want to be remembered when we are gone. What will our legacy be? Will we be thought of with love from our families and admiration from friends and acquaintances? Live your whole life in a Christian manner so your legacy will be worthy.