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A Work In Progress

I am trying to come to grips with my living room being in a state of utter chaos. Everything is all out of sorts. The majority of the furniture has been pushed together in the middle of the room.  The other odds and ends are scattered throughout making it extremely challenging to navigate a course to the bathroom. My wife and I are in the midst of painting the interior of our house.

I have to admit I don’t do well with process. It’s hard for me to picture the finished project when all I see is blue painter’s tape and the first coat of paint on the walls. My eyes almost instantly go towards the spots that need touching-up or the areas where I got paint on the ceiling. Even though I know that eventually everything will be put back in its place, the “in between” stage is unsettling for me.

Maybe this is the reason why many of the tasks on my ‘honey do’ list remain unchecked. In order to have a finished project one has to be okay with the mess in the middle. Only when we admit our messiness will God be able to work on our hearts. When it comes to the transformation you will see through your One Word, there needs to be a way for you to deal with your unfinishedness.

Yes, unfinished means being incomplete and imperfect but it also entails movement because you have come to grips with being in process. The restoration project of your hearts will expose your flaws, rough edges and touch-up spots. However, by developing measuring sticks to measure growth you will be able to notice how the heart of Christ is beginning to take shape in your life.

Dealing with process comes down to where you place your sights. Do your eyes zero in on the imperfections causing you to be riddled with feelings of guilt and defeat? Or does your gaze go in the direction of your Creator who began a good work in you, is changing you and loves you in the midst of your unfinishedness? As the month of March comes to a close, may the words of Hebrews 12:2 bring you comfort: “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith.”

• How are you currently dealing with being a “work in progress?” Are you allowing your unfinishedness to hinder your growth or spur you on towards transformation?

• How has developing measuring sticks enabled you to see the growth that has taken place through your One Word up to this point?

Are you looking for a way to keep your word in front of you all year long? Register for a My One Word account! One of the key features of a MOW account is an online Word Journal that allows you to capture your thoughts to reflective questions like you see above. You can go back at any time to read your completed journals to see how God has been moving in your life through your word in 2010.  If you already have an account, the questions from this blog have been posted to your Word Journal — log in to your account to start your Word Journal today!

Beyond Intentions

One of the most challenging aspects of the My One Word journey is moving beyond your good intentions. Chances are good that you want to change, and that this desire is genuine. You can want and hope for transformation to happen, but it never will without movement. We must propel ourselves into action. The question you face is: How are these intentions going to become reality?

What are you going to do?

Making assessments plays a critical role in one’s spiritual growth. You must have some way to gather information so you can gauge your progress. This month the blog posts have focused on creating measuring sticks so you can track your growth. With a quarter of the year now in the books, it is our hope that you are managing the disciplines you’ve implemented and experiencing change.

As you are learning to measure your growth and track your progress, make sure you are getting good information. Psalm 119:160 says, “The very essence of Your words is truth; all Your just regulations will stand forever” (NLT). The art of making great assessments is not found in getting the right answers, but grounded in asking the right questions.

There are many people who began this experiment with great intentions. They had a clear picture of what kind of person they wanted to become. Yet they couldn’t answer the question “Why?”

Why do you want to become this person? Why do you hope to see change? Why have you struggled with this area in the past? Why are you meeting resistance? These are questions that not only focus on execution, but also cut to the heart of motive.

Growth can be found in the answer to the question “Why?” Keep asking questions and pursing answers as you continue the journey.

Room To Grow

I wish I was able to cultivate my backyard into a spacious garden where plants thrive and flourish. However, somehow I seem to kill every plant I touch. My “Black Thumb” sends every seed six feet under to its death sentence. In order to understand why devastation reigns supreme in my backyard, I headed over to Home Depot to seek advice from the garden experts. After answering numerous questions, my fears were relieved when they informed me the seeds lack of growth was not due “solely” to my incompetence, but rather the terrible soil in which it had been sown.

The expert informed me how the condition of the soil determined whether a seed would sprout or stay dormant, never to see the light of day. While some elements found in soil provide key nutrients, there are others that can be toxic to plants. Erosion, drought, rocks and other random organisms make it nearly impossible for growth to occur. In essence, the seed never stood a chance to develop deep roots.

Even though Luke 8:4-15 is often referred to as the Parable of the Sower, very little energy is spent focusing on the farmer himself. Instead great detail goes into describing the conditions of the various soils. This does not mean the identity of the Sower is insignificant. In fact, it is just the opposite. Without the Sower (Jesus Christ) taking the time to plant the seeds (word of God), no fruit would be produced from the soil (our hearts).

Yet, we need to ask ourselves: Why is Jesus so concerned over the environment the seed is placed in? What is He ultimately nudging us to do with what we have been told? Like the soil expert at Home Depot, Jesus understood how critical a role the condition of the soil plays in a seed’s development.

If the seed in the parable represents the word of God then it should unsettle us how only one environment provided an ideal setting for the seed to bear fruit. So, what can we do to make the conditions ripe for our spiritual growth? It starts by immersing ourselves in the Word of God. To reflect God’s heart, we have to know God’s heart. We must allow the truth of scripture to define our actions, words and lives; yet at the same time understand how just like a seed our maturity and growth take time to develop. Weeds can pop up overnight, but mature fruit occurs over time.

A heart found in good soil is the place in which the character of God takes root in our lives. This good soil is a byproduct of a heart which is real, submissive, and tenacious in pursuing the qualities of their One Word. The seed that will bear fruit is the one which can withstand the heat, distraction, and everything else working against it. This last point is critical to understand as you begin to ponder your current struggles with your One Word and whether or not you might be good soil. You need to understand how faith doesn’t eliminate the struggle. Rather faith perseveres until the fullness of God is demonstrated and His fruit is born. Good soil is not the finished work. Soil is simply a context for potential. When you cultivate, you dig. You move dirt around to make room. You create an area where you hope what you plant will grow. You create room to grow.

• Read Luke 8:4-15. Which of the four seeds most accurately reflects the condition of your heart right now and your receptiveness to your One Word? How long has your heart been like this? Is this a place that you find yourself often? If so, why? Are you comfortable in this place or is your heart longing for change?

• Read Colossians 2:6-7. How does the imagery found in this passage encourage you and provide comfort that change can occur through your One Word? How can you can begin to “cultivate the soil” to affect positive change in your heart? How will you be able to tell if your heart is softening toward this change?

Are you looking for a way to keep your word in front of you all year long? Register for a My One Word account! One of the key features of a MOW account is an online Word Journal that allows you to capture your thoughts to reflective questions like you see above. You can go back at any time to read your completed journals to see how God has been moving in your life through your word in 2010.  If you already have an account, the questions from this blog have been posted to your Word Journal — log in to your account to start your Word Journal today!