Keep Your Head Down.

The ending of 2018 brings to mind the potential that 2019 has. While they’re seldom maintained, New Year’s resolutions often reflect our desire to reach our potential, but wishful thinking is not the way to do that.

Faith affirmations alone are not the way to reach potential…

Spending all your time mourning past failures is not the way to reach potential…

You’ll reach your potential when you work towards it with focus and a strong work ethic.

In this social-media crazed culture that we live in, it’s so common to judge one’s successes based on what others publish about themselves, never mind the fact that you don’t know the failures they experienced to reach where they are, or if where they show they are is really where they are. Just like the kids who didn’t study for a pop quiz in grade school and they spent time looking around to see how others answered the questions, far too many of us are so busy looking around at what others are doing that our life’s work is being neglected.

One simple key to accomplishing the goals that are ahead of you is to keep your head down. This means to focus on what you desire to accomplish with a consistency that enables you to grow towards your goal(s) without being distracted.

When encouraging the Colossian church to put off worldliness and put on newness in Christ, Paul exhorted them to “set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth (Col. 3:2).” Not start believing and Abracadabra, you’re like Jesus. No! Paul says that spiritual growth requires intentional concentration.

Just like spiritual growth, all of the areas in your life that you acknowledge need growth will require intentional concentration.

Here’s something to consider as we approach the end of 2018:

How are you doing? Spiritually? Financially? Mentally? Emotionally?

In the areas that you desire to grow, which I hope are all of these and more, keep your head down.

For spiritual growth, concentrate on the things of God in place of spiritually malnourishing things.

For financial growth, create a budget and live by it. Trust God with the tithe. Be a saver, and not just a spender.

For mental growth, read; and not just social media statuses. Read books. Ask for referrals. I suggest kindle books because they can go everywhere with you (there’s an app for that).

For emotional growth, pay attention to yourself and what triggers negative emotions for you. When you identify negative triggers, premeditating responses really helps to re-shape your experiences.

None of us are perfect, and neither are our attention spans, but we will do a great service to ourselves when we intensify our focus by following Paul’s advice to “set your mind…”. May the end of 2018 and beginning of 2019 find you focusing on the goals that are ahead of you!